episode-header-image

May 7

21m 12s

The FTC commissioner fired by Trump

Financial Times

About this episode

In March, Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission, were fired from their jobs by the Trump administration. They say this was done illegally and are challenging their dismissals. Michela talks with Bedoya about what happened, and why he thinks businesses should be concerned.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

For further reading:

Trump’s move to fire us is a terrible warning for the US economy

Two Democrats on US antitrust panel say they were ‘illegally fired’ by Donald Trump

Could Donald Trump fire Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Follow Alvaro Bedoya on X (@BedoyaFTC). Michela Tindera is on X (@mtindera07) and Bluesky (@mtindera.ft.com), or follow her on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next

Palantir’s relentless rise

Palantir shares have soared this year, making the data analytics company one of the most valuable listed US tech groups. The FT’s Tabby Kinder explains how a paradigm shift in Silicon Valley helped propel Palantir to new heights and why many think it will be among the biggest win ... Show More

Why Big Tobacco is buzzing over nicotine pouches

This is a revised version of an earlier episode and clarifies the position of Zyn in the US market.As the popularity of cigarettes has slid in the past couple decades, Big Tobacco has been searching for a new hit product. Now, they think they’ve found it: nicotine pouches. FT rep ... Show More

Can Bobby Jain build the next hedge fund giant?

Two summers ago, hedge fund manager Bobby Jain set out with a huge goal: build a hedge fund that can rival the likes of industry giants Citadel and Millennium. But in the year since his firm started trading, Jain has found the going tough. FT hedge fund correspondents Amelia Poll ... Show More

Recommended Episodes

Trump goes to war with the law

The chief justice of the US Supreme Court has issued a stinging rebuke to Donald Trump's demand to impeach a judge who ruled against his administration's controversial deportation of migrants.Judge James Boasberg ordered a stop to the transfer of accused gang members to El Salvad ... Show More

Trump Lashes Out at Powell. But Can the President Fire the Fed Chair?

P.M. Edition for April 17. In a post on social media and in comments from the Oval Office, President Trump expressed his displeasure with Fed Chair Jerome Powell. But can Trump actually fire him? WSJ chief economics commentator Greg Ip discusses an upcoming Supreme Court decision ... Show More

Swamp Notes: Trump tries to bring watchdogs to heel

US President Donald Trump’s executive order this week seeks to “rein in” independent federal agencies by requiring them to submit draft regulations for review. The FT’s US managing editor Brooke Masters and our legal and enforcement correspondent Stefania Palma discuss what the n ... Show More

Trump's War on the U.S. Government

Donald Trump and Elon Musk continue their all-out assault on the federal government, shuttering USAID, rooting out and firing workers linked in any way to diversity initiatives, and breaking and ignoring laws as they go. Jon and Dan hash out all the latest, including Trump's plan ... Show More

The US-UK trade deal

The US and the UK agreed to a trade deal, and the Bank of England cut interest rates by a quarter point. Plus, we hear from an FTC commissioner who was fired by US President Donald Trump and is challenging his dismissal. Mentioned in this podcast:US and UK seal first deal of Trum ... Show More

Trump Is Considering Selling Most of the Federal Government’s Real Estate

P.M. Edition for Jan. 21. The Trump administration is considering selling most of the offices maintained by a federal agency known as the General Services Administration. WSJ real estate reporter Deborah Acosta joins to discuss what the impact might be. Plus, more than a dozen at ... Show More

Is Trump's Honeymoon Over?

Donald Trump and Elon Musk make their bromance official in a joint interview with Sean Hannity, but polls suggest the American people may already be souring on DC's new it-couple. Trump takes his feud with Volodymyr Zelenskyy to dangerous new levels, calling Ukraine's leader a "d ... Show More

Albrego Garcia Deportation, Trump Harvard Takeover & Blue Origin with Jack Posobiec

President Donald Trump’s made good on his promise to deport illegal immigrants - but not without complications. Kilmar Albrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador by mistake, which the US Supreme Court says was illegal. And border chief Tom Homan says we should have no compassion ... Show More

Swamp Notes: Trump vs the press

This week, the White House said it would pick which reporters would get access to Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the US president has sued several press outlets for what he considers unfair coverage. Can the media do its job in this political landscape? The FT’s Washington bureau chief ... Show More

CTRL-F 'Trump' in the Epstein Files

Your suspicions were correct: according to The Wall Street Journal, Trump’s name is in the Epstein files—and the Attorney General told him so all the way back in May. Trump responds with more lies, obfuscations, and distractions, accusing Barack Obama of treason, and sending Tuls ... Show More

Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami