The Trump government’s competition plan is off to a strong start in its first month. Its antitrust enforcement officers have rejected sweeping regulations and valued development to lower the country’s debt.
As the situation settles, the management should continue to address the country’s most pressing issues, including international protectionism, regulatory excess, and China. The management may preserve American beliefs, safety, and global leadership by working with U.S.companies rather than against them.  ,
More Law Enforcement, Less Bureaucracy
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC ), an “independent” agency, and the Department of Justice’s ( DOJ) Antitrust Division are two separate organizations that are responsible for competition policy. The administration may assist efforts to move the FTC’s functions to Court and finally end the duplicative agency for reasons both fiscal and legal.
Andrew Ferguson, the FTC’s president, has argued that “independent firms are not good for democracy.” Future historians likely marvel at the court’s approval of the FTC, a progressive-era fusion of executive, legislative, and judicial authority in five commission. Three commission allegedly revoked the laws of 47 state and thousands of exclusive agreements under the administration of President Joe Biden. Consolidation might help to stop for meddling.
Additionally, a merger may reduce costs while boosting protection. The FTC spends more than$ 183 million annually on administrative tasks related to front-line police, including directors ‘ offices, congressional affairs, and press releases. The entire bureaucratic cost is significantly higher, excluding the policy and adjudicative staffs, which are excluded.
A pending act, the One Agency Act, would combine competitive functions within the DOJ, enhancing enforcement and facilitating the transport of customer protection functions.
Regulatory Overuse
President Donald Trump took office again with little delay in reducing regulation responsibilities. The White House froze fresh rules and repealed Biden’s burdensome AI professional purchase. The FTC” committed to ending all of the rules and regulations that are no more needed,” according to Court, which created a work force to overcome antitrust laws.
The FTC has acted more slowly to time. Yet as Congress considered a quality of disapproval, the FTC is adhering to the strict 2023 acquisition guidelines that were approved under Biden and approved a new concept for reporting merges.
As the firms increase in staffing, they may lessen governmental burdens. The initial consolidation shape of the FTC would have required annual fees more than$ 2.3 billion, and the last also imposes high-cost reporting requirements. The merger guidelines may lower capital flows and make it easier for the government to halt deals without providing evidence in the same way.
The administration could reinvigorate the market and help U.S. companies increase their global competitiveness by overthrowing the previous government.
With Friends Like These…
Through stringent regulations like the Digital Markets Act ( “DMA” ), the Digital Services Tax, the General Data Protection Regulation, and the AI Act, Europe has targeted American businesses for years. These regulations typically exempt Western and Chinese companies from their purview and have made it possible for regulators to great U.S. companies tens of billions of euros for regular conduct, a genuine wealth transfer from American employees and shareholders to Western bureaucrats. Europe noted that the multibillion dollar penalty against Apple “helps finance the]European Union ] and lessen the burden on its ] taxpayers.”
Surprisingly, the Biden administration supported European efforts. The antitrust authorities allegedly worked with foreign regulators, which violated American companies ‘ due process rights abroad.
Trump, thankfully, made a change. He ordered trade officials to stop shoddy digital services taxes. Vice President J. D. Vance criticized “reports that some foreign governments are considering tightening the screws on U.S. tech companies… excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry” at an AI summit.
Antitrust authorities should stop the spread of regulations in the European style around the world. Instead of advocating for industrial policy, they should advocate for a sensible competition policy that favors consumers.  ,
The China Challenge
China is investing$ 1.4 trillion to dethrone America as the world’s technological superpower, as well as stealing$ 500 billion worth of tech secrets annually. In 57 of the country’s 64 crucial technologies, including quantum censors, high-performance computing, and AI algorithms, China is currently ahead of the United States. A commission                      &n
American businesses are making significant investments in new technologies as a result. Meta is providing open-source AI alternatives as China attempts to spread its technology around the world. Google is investing$ 75 billion in AI alone in 2025. Apple recently unveiled the first quantum chip, and Microsoft is investing$ 500 billion in the United States.
Some policymakers worry that some tech platforms may restrict speech at the same time. Spread of some news stories has been decreased by platforms. Some businesses have acknowledged that they knowingly clung to strict orders from senior government officials.  ,
Elon Musk purchased Twitter, Meta adopted Meta‘s content moderation strategy, Trump launched Truth Social, and, for the better or worse, popular foreign-owned platforms have continued to grow. Additionally, Trump signed an executive order resigning from office after it was overturned, and the FTC launched a speech inquiry.
In light of this situation, measured antitrust enforcement seems to be the best course of action, with tech companies neither subject to scrutiny as “national champions” nor demanding unimaginable fines. The organizations should vigorously enforce antitrust laws while allowing businesses to think creatively and make investments. Does it make sense to dismember Meta over mergers that were approved and completed a decade ago, unwind Microsoft’s vertical acquisition of Activision Blizzard, or disband Google for too long exclusive contracts in terms of policy and precedent? Such overt stances could stifle domestic innovation and send a message to foreign governments that they can slander Americans without impunity.
Trump appears to agree that law enforcement should take into account the global environment. He added that” we [Google ] give us a lot of credit because we [wan’t to have great companies — we don’t want China to have these companies.” When asked if Google should be disbanded, he responded,” If you do that, will you destroy the company?” What you can do is make sure it’s more fair without breaking it up,  .
Finally, a rational approach would encourage the use of American technology and promote free speech. Consider the alternative. Chinese AI models actively censor historical events and spread state propaganda. The United States needs the world to adopt American technology to counteract these lies.
By addressing America’s most pressing issues, the administration has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to promote investment, advance technology, preserve , and combat China’s anti-democratic global ambitions for decades to come.
In the first Trump administration, Asheesh Agarwal served.
