Trump purges Democrats from US Federal Trade Commission

2 weeks ago 11
The determination   would look  to unfastened  the doorway  for Trump to name  loyalists astatine  what is meant to beryllium  an autarkic  agencyThe determination would look to unfastened the doorway for Trump to name loyalists astatine what is meant to beryllium an autarkic agency. Photo: ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP
Source: AFP

One of 2 Democrats connected the US Federal Trade Commission announced Tuesday that President Donald Trump had fired him from the agency, which is intended to defender against unfair concern practices.

The lone different Democratic commissioner was besides fired, US media reported. The determination would look to unfastened the doorway for Trump to name loyalists astatine what is meant to beryllium an autarkic agency.

"The president conscionable illegally fired me," FTC commissioner Alvaro Bedoya wrote successful a station connected X, formerly Twitter. "This is corruption plain and simple."

The FTC consists of 5 commissioners, typically representing some large governmental parties.

Bedoya vowed successful an X station to "see the president successful court" implicit the dismissal.

Layoffs of national workers person been rampant since Trump took bureau successful January and established a "Department of Government Efficiency" headed by billionaire Elon Musk, a elder advisor and cardinal fiscal backer of the Republican's campaign.

"The FTC is an autarkic bureau founded 111 years agone to combat fraudsters and monopolists," Bedoya said successful a post. "Now, the president wants the FTC to beryllium a lapdog for his golfing buddies."

The different Democrat connected the commission, Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, besides said she was fired, US media reported.

The White House did not instantly respond to an AFP petition for comment.

Under Trump and erstwhile President Joe Biden, the FTC has taken connected Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook-parent Meta implicit however they wield marketplace power.

In an interrogation with Fox Business successful February, recently appointed FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson confirmed that ongoing cases against Amazon and Meta would proceed, emphasizing his committedness to "holding Big Tech's feet to the fire."

Questions person lingered connected whether the Trump presidency volition proceed with the cases, fixed an evident alignment betwixt tech billionaires and the Republican since helium won past year's election.

Since that victory, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made large changes astatine his institution to bring it successful enactment with Trump's preferences. He has axed US fact-checking connected Facebook, named Trump state Dana White to Meta's committee and appointed a Republican advisor arsenic caput of planetary policy.

Amazon brag Jeff Bezos visited the president during the modulation period, and has sought to marque his Washington Post paper little hostile to the president.

The billionaire has ordered the Post's sentiment conception not to tally columns opposed to "personal liberties and escaped markets," and quashed its planned endorsement of Democrat Kamala Harris earlier the US election.

Musk, Bezos and different tech billionaires were fixed salient places astatine Trump's inauguration successful January, with respective making million-dollar donations to the committee organizing the event.

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Source: AFP

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