Escape Forward: Connecting dots beyond the antitrust island Where is U.S. antitrust enforcement going?
Sep 12, 2025
Roger Alford, a Notre Dame Professor and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the DOJ Antitrust Division, dives into the evolving landscape of U.S. antitrust enforcement. He discusses the shift from the 'America First Antitrust' approach to the challenges of regulating digital monopolies. Alford highlights the need for precise enforcement strategies and critiques the influence of corporate lobbyists and cultural elitism on policy. He also questions the effectiveness of current legal remedies and what it means for global regulators.
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Pocketbook Focus For Antitrust
- America First Antitrust centers on helping the working-class by lowering pocketbook costs like housing and healthcare.
- Roger Alford frames the agenda as realigning Republican politics toward everyday economic concerns.
Scalpel Over Sledgehammer
- Gail Slater's 'scalpel' metaphor means targeted litigation and deregulation instead of broad regulatory market engineering.
- The division pairs lawsuits with efforts to identify and remove anti-competitive regulations.
Settlements Versus Clean Challenges
- The Biden era used few settlements and pushed clean-break outcomes, while the Trump administrations favor workable settlements when legal fixes suffice.
- Roger says good settlements exist but warns some recent deals signal improper political influence.