Antitrust as Political Power

Antitrust enforcement increasingly functions as a tool of political struggle rather than a neutral application of consumer‑welfare doctrine. High‑profile personnel moves (for example, the reported ouster/resignation of DOJ antitrust chief Gail Slater) reveal that enforcement posture can flip with White House politics and internal factional fights. — Shifts in who runs antitrust enforcement can change merger outcomes, platform regulation, and the balance between corporate economic power and political authority.