Staff Reports
In a move that has left some Democrats clutching their pearls, President Donald Trump decided to shake things up at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by firing both Democrat commissioners, Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter. While former officials may trumpet this as an attack on the independence of federal agencies, it seems that Trump is merely wielding the kind of executive power that modern presidents should embrace, especially in an era when bureaucratic red tape often runs rampant.
This unprecedented move set off a cacophony of protests from the ousted commissioners, who insisted their firings were “illegal.” Bedoya went on record to assert that Trump aimed to turn the commission into a “lapdog for his golfing buddies.” One can’t help but wonder if Bedoya thinks that the president should instead invite them to play a round rather than wield the power of his office. Talk about conflating golf with governance!
As if they weren’t already cornered, Slaughter decided to read the writing on the wall, cautioning that if she and Bedoya could be dismissed without cause, then the chair of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, might soon find himself packing his bags too. Bedoya supported this doomsday prediction, likening their sackings to a slippery slope where even the Fed’s top dog could be shown the door. Perhaps he thinks Powell is about to face a fate worse than the dreaded Monday morning email.
Trump Fires Both Democrat FTC Commissioners: 'Major Implications' for the Federal Reserve https://t.co/7QSKBUiHvy
— Steve Ferguson (@lsferguson) March 20, 2025
With these firings, the FTC now consists solely of two remaining commissioners, both Republicans. Andrew Ferguson and Melissa Holyoak are left to tackle the important work of keeping a fair marketplace, perhaps with some added willingness to address concerns from the American people. Ferguson reassured everyone that the president indeed possesses the constitutional authority to manage executive branch personnel, which sounds an awful lot like enforcing accountability—a concept that seems foreign to many entrenched bureaucrats.
White House assistant press secretary Taylor Rogers chimed in, emphasizing that Trump is merely following through on what the American people voted for: ridding the government of officials who don’t align with a common-sense agenda. This is a refreshing take that counters the standard narrative pushed by those reluctant to accept that sometimes, like an overzealous referee, it’s necessary to throw out the players who don’t play by the rules.
While Bedoya and Slaughter frame their situation as an attack on consumer rights and agency independence, Trump’s decision could be perceived as a call to end the silos of government regulation that often suffocate real competition and innovation in the market. As the dust settles, it remains to be seen if new, more pragmatic appointees will step into these roles and restore faith in a commission that some have portrayed as a fiefdom of corporate interests—though one would hope the American people and their needs remain at the forefront of whatever unfolds next.
