President-elect Donald Trump announced on Wednesday the nomination of Gail Slater, a seasoned policy adviser in technology and media, to lead the Department of Justice’s antitrust division. Slater is tasked with spearheading major antitrust cases involving tech giants such as Google, Visa, and Apple.
With a robust background in antitrust law and economic advisory roles, Slater is prepared to advance the ongoing efforts against Big Tech monopolies, an initiative that began under Trump’s previous term. Trump expressed his stance on social media, stating, “Big Tech has run wild for years, stifling competition in our most innovative sector and, as we all know, using its market power to crack down on the rights of so many Americans, as well as those of Little Tech!”
During her tenure in 2018 at the White House National Economic Council, Slater contributed to an executive order addressing national security risks from Chinese telecommunications equipment. Her career also includes significant positions at Fox Corp and Roku before she joined JD Vance’s office.
JD Vance, the Vice President-elect, has advocated for a comprehensive approach to antitrust enforcement and has lauded the efforts of Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan.
Slater, originally from Dublin, Ireland, started her legal career at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London, eventually moving to Washington. Her decade at the FTC saw her challenging mergers like Whole Foods’ purchase of Wild Oats and later serving as an adviser to Julie Brill, a former commissioner who joined Microsoft.
It’s also worth noting though, that Slater’s experience also includes representing major firms like Amazon and Google through the Internet Association.
