Gail Slater on Feb. 12. Photo: Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Gail Slater told senators on Wednesday she'll keep the work going on the Justice Department's high-profile antitrust cases against Apple and Google if confirmed as President Trump's nominee to lead the DOJ's antitrust division.
Why it matters: The committee gave Slater an easy time, suggesting she'll have a smooth path to confirmation as assistant attorney general of the antitrust division.
Driving the news: Slater appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee alongside Trump's pick for deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche.
- Slater was largely welcomed by committee members as a qualified pick due to her background in tech and antitrust.
- Slater said she wants to ensure the DOJ works toward Trump's goal of "making America competitive again."
Zoom in: Slater is a known entity in Washington tech policy world, having worked for the FTC, on tech issues in the White House during Trump's first term, and at 21st Century Fox, Roku, and the now-defunct Internet Association.
- She most recently served as a policy adviser for Vice President JD Vance during his time in the Senate.
What they're saying: "My intention is to, in good faith, go and visit with the staff, get up to speed on the [files] and take it from there," Slater said when asked about ongoing cases involving Google and Apple at the DOJ, adding that adequate resources will be key to the antitrust division.
- Slater's comments on resources come as DOGE aims to slash the size of the federal workforce across all agencies.
- "Anybody's viewpoint can be quickly throttled or suppressed when there is market power on the back of that. Someone can be disappeared from the internet when there are only two platforms providing news to the American people," she told Sen. Ted Cruz.
Sen. Josh Hawley asked Slater about AI's impact on concentration of power, to which she said she "didn't want to make a call yet" on whether it's a problem.
- Slater also told Hawley the growing use of noncompetes in concentrated industries across the economy was concerning.
Between the lines: Slater called antitrust enforcement a "scalpel," and said it should be targeted. She emphasized the important of finding evidence of anti-competitive conduct.
- She also committed to work with attorneys general on antitrust enforcement.
What's next: The committee will schedule an executive session to advance the nomination to the Senate floor.
