Trump now has full control of the FTC

With the recent confirmation of Mark Meador as Federal Trade Commissioner, the Republicans now have a 3-0 majority at the FTC, giving President Donald Trump broad control over what was once an aggressive business regulator under former FTC chair Lina Khan.

The vote fell along party lines, with all Senate Democrats voting against confirming Meador. Under normal circumstances three Republican members at the FTC is expected. Whichever party the president represents typically holds three seats, while the other party holds two. What makes the new Republican majority unusual is that Trump fired the Democrat Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter in March, something that’s not supposed to happen without “good cause.”

The FTC, like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is technically part of the executive branch, but exists independently of the rest of the government, with the current president adding new members as terms end or in the rare case there’s good cause to remove a commissioner, like if they’re found guilty of malfeasance or neglecting their duties.

An executive order Trump signed in February 2025 sought to exert more control over these independent organizations in the name of “accountability.” That was the primary justification for removing Bedoya and Slaughter, both of which are fighting their termination in court.

Given the actions Biden’s FTC took against corporate America, like suing John Deere over unfair practices and leading antitrust investigations into Meta, Amazon, Google and Apple, it makes sense business-friendly Republicans would prefer less pushback from Democrats. That doesn’t make anything that’s happening legal, though.