Trump's VP Pick J.D. Vance Advocates Broader Antitrust Enforcement

J.D. Vance, newly chosen as Donald Trump's vice presidential candidate, praises FTC Chair Lina Khan's antitrust approach. Vance, aligned with some Republican lawmakers, supports using antitrust laws against powerful corporations, notably in Big Tech. His stance marks a significant element of a potential second Trump administration's policies.

J.D. Vance, newly chosen as Donald Trump's vice presidential candidate, has openly praised the work of Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan. This endorsement indicates potential bipartisan support for Khan's broad approach to antitrust enforcement under a second Trump administration.

Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio, joined the presidential ticket at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Trump was confirmed as the party's nominee. Vance is among a group of Republican lawmakers dubbed 'Khanservatives' for agreeing with Khan that U.S. antitrust laws should encompass more than just consumer prices.

'She recognized there has to be a broader understanding of how we think about competition in the marketplace,' Vance said at an event in Washington. His comments highlight a conservative divide between reducing regulatory agencies and using antitrust laws to challenge powerful corporations, especially in Big Tech, where perceived censorship of conservatives online is a point of contention.

Joseph Coniglio, director of antitrust policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, noted Vance's stance. 'I do think that picking Senator Vance as vice president certainly sends a signal in one direction,' said Coniglio, whose think tank is funded by several major technology companies. Scrutiny of Big Tech is consistent with Trump's previous administration, which initiated investigations into companies like Meta, Amazon, Apple, and Google over antitrust violations.

Vance, a Yale-educated lawyer and venture capitalist, has called for breaking up Google, criticizing its monopolistic control over information. His views hint at potential focus areas for a second Trump term, coinciding with conservative policy platforms and ongoing debates on the FTC's future.

Business groups have criticized the Biden administration's antitrust focus, especially its broader considerations that extend beyond competition impacts on prices. Vance's comments at a February event hosted by Y Combinator suggest his antitrust perspective includes impacts on small firms, workers, and consumer goods quality, challenging the notion that corporate behavior can't be tyrannical.

'I want people to live good lives in our country,' Vance said. 'I don't really care if the entity that is most threatening to that vision is a private entity or a public entity.'

(With inputs from agencies.)