Published on Apr 28, 2025
At an April 2nd event hosted by the Capitol Forum in partnership with FGS Global, Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson and Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ’s Antitrust Division Gail Slater outlined their enforcement priorities. The conference also featured remarks from Roger Alford, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ’s Antitrust Division and international insights from Andreas Mundt, president of Germany’s Bundeskartellamt. In a concluding roundtable, senior DOJ and FTC officials discussed consumer protection, national security, and practical enforcement strategies.
Ferguson and Slater emphasized their commitment to active enforcement with some continuity from the Biden administration, while outlining key differences in approach — including a greater openness to resolving antitrust concerns through substantive remedies rather than outright blocking deals. Both officials indicated that this shift marks a move away from the more rigid enforcement posture of their predecessors.
Ferguson also shared that his perspective on corporate power evolved during his time as a senior staffer in the Senate around 2020, citing concerns about content moderation and corporate influence on social policy that reshaped his view of market dynamics.
“It was my awakening, but it more just made me aware about the existence of the market power and how it can affect ordinary Americans in ways that we weren’t really thinking about before,” Ferguson said. “Government intervention to prevent monopoly is good. And that is because the biggest threats to competition [and] to human flourishing are big government and big monopoly.”
Ferguson also highlighted the FTC’s newly formed labor market task force as a top enforcement priority. While he dissented from the FTC’s 2023 national ban on noncompete agreements—calling the policy overly proscriptive—he pledged a “vigorous anti-noncompete program” targeting agreements that operate in an anticompetitive manner.
Slater discussed a new DOJ Antitrust Division initiative focused on examining how government regulations may unintentionally create barriers to entry for small businesses.
“We’re currently in the information-gathering phase,” Slater said, adding that she may collaborate with White House councils addressing similar concerns.
She also framed antitrust enforcement as a natural extension of conservative principles.
“Outside of antitrust, we are the party of law enforcement,” Slater said. She pointed to the origins of the Sherman Act, paraphrasing Senator John Sherman: “If we won’t tolerate a king in our politics, we should not tolerate a king in the necessities of life.”
In a separate session, DOJ’s Roger Alford spoke on the competitive effects of tariffs, particularly in light of recent trade policy shifts.
“There’s been a sea change with respect to liberal economic values,” Alford said. “This administration has a sincere concern for the average American worker, and that concern must be taken seriously.”
Alford explained that tariffs—especially those imposed on foreign manufacturers—can reduce competition and lead to price increases for domestic goods. He cited the 2018 washer-dryer market as a case in point.
Alford underscored the role of antitrust enforcement in mitigating the negative effects of protectionist trade policy. Ferguson echoed this sentiment in a statement following the event:
“As we adjust to the new economic order, the [FTC] will be watching closely to make sure American companies are vigorously competing on prices. These necessary tariffs should not be interpreted as a green light for price fixing or any other unlawful behavior.”
Alford also addressed concerns in the tech sector, rejecting calls for government-backed “national champions” and instead advocating for robust competition in innovation-focused industries like artificial intelligence.
The discussion concluded with a focus on consumer welfare. Alford emphasized the DOJ’s commitment to enforcement in markets that directly impact Americans’ daily lives, such as housing, healthcare, and groceries.
“Antitrust enforcement has to focus relentlessly on the concerns of the average American,” he said, noting that recent DOJ action in the egg industry led to a significant drop in prices.
In his remarks as one of the featured speakers, Andreas Mundt, president of Germany’s Bundeskartellamt, highlighted Europe’s deregulation efforts to boost competitiveness. In a concluding panel, senior DOJ and FTC officials, including Emma Burnham, Daniel Glad, George “Chip” Nierlich, and David Shaw, emphasized the agencies’ focus on protecting consumers, taxpayers, and workers, while reaffirming a commitment to vigorous enforcement and practical remedies.
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