DOJ Antitrust Chief Gail Slater Resigns Amid Internal Disputes
Gail Slater left the Justice Department after clashes over mergers including a $14bn Hewlett Packard Enterprise–Juniper Networks deal and disputes with Attorney General Pam Bondi, raising questions about major antitrust cases.
The GuardianUS antitrust chief Gail Slater ousted from Trump justice department
BBC NewsUS antitrust chief resigns amid tensions with Trump officials
Breitbart NewsDOJ Antitrust Head Gail Slater Resigns After Tenure Featuring Google's Infamous Slap on the Wrist Verdict
The Free PressTrump’s Tough-Talking Antitrust Chief Is Pushed Out
Overview
Gail Slater announced on X that she was leaving her role as assistant attorney general for antitrust on Thursday, saying she departed "with great sadness and abiding hope."
Her departure followed months of public tension over big mergers, including a $14bn Hewlett Packard Enterprise bid for Juniper Networks that the department initially sued to block.
Senior officials including Attorney General Pam Bondi clashed with Slater, and the turbulence led to the ouster of other antitrust leaders, according to people familiar with the matter.
The government argued the HPE–Juniper combination would control roughly 70% of the market, the deal was later settled, and the department is handling other high-profile suits involving Live Nation, Visa and Apple.
Omeed Assefi is expected to take over on an interim basis, and antitrust practitioners, lawmakers and former officials warned the departures raise questions about the future of enforcement and ongoing cases.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Slater’s departure as evidence of internal Trump administration conflict, using loaded terms like "tough-talking," "oust," and "infighting," privileging anonymous insiders who say officials decided to remove her, and emphasizing her "antitrust hawk" reputation while offering limited administration rationale, creating a narrative of political pressure over merit.