U.S. Justice Department Antitrust Chief Resigns Amid Policy Uncertainty

U.S. Justice Department's head of antitrust, Abigail Slater, resigned on Thursday, raising questions about how the Trump administration will handle competition policy moving forward. According to Jin10, Slater announced her resignation on X after the White House requested her departure. Her appointment last December by U.S. President Donald Trump was widely seen as a signal that his administration would continue the proactive antitrust enforcement strategy of the Biden team. Slater's resignation comes amid internal disagreements within the Justice Department over merger enforcement. Last month, despite recommendations from Slater and antitrust lawyers for a thorough review of Compass's acquisition of its largest competitor, Anywhere Real Estate, the department approved the deal. Previously, disputes over Hewlett Packard Enterprise's acquisition of Juniper Networks led to the dismissal of two of Slater's senior deputies. The antitrust division is also reviewing the ongoing battle between Netflix and Paramount over the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.