TOP DOJ Lawyer SUDDENLY RESIGNS as EVERYONE QUITS!!

What this episode is about

Gail Slater, a top DOJ official appointed by Donald Trump to lead the antitrust division, has abruptly resigned amid pressure from big tech companies opposed to her regulatory efforts. During her tenure, Slater took significant actions, including blocking a major merger, but faced backlash that ultimately led to her departure, which she announced with a message of gratitude for her team.

Key takeaways

• Gail Slater’s exit showcases the fine line between ambition and allegiance in Trump’s chaotic DOJ.
• Blocking a $14 billion merger? Bold move. But in Trump's realm, loyalty often trumps legal prowess.
• Antitrust enforcement: a noble cause derailed by big tech bribes and political favors—who could have seen that coming?
• Slater's resignation underscores that even tough antitrust warriors can become collateral damage in the Trump circus.
• In Trump's world, ensuring competition means pleasing the right people, not enforcing fair laws. Irony, much?

Who speaks in this episode?

• Ben Meiselas (Host) · 12 min speaking
• Gail Slater (Guest) · 2 min speaking
• Harry Litman (Guest) · 3 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Donald Trump, Gail Slater, Department of Justice, Juniper Networks
2. 3:00 – 6:00: J.D. Vance, Gail Slater, Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Sherman Antitrust Act, Juniper Networks, Ullett Packard Enterprise, Talking Feds
4. 9:00 – 12:00: Attorney General Pam Bondi, Gail Slater, Sherman Antitrust Act, J.D. Vance
5. 12:00 – 15:00: Gail Slater, Department of Justice, Attorney General Pam Bondi
6. 15:00 – 16:37: Talking Feds

Notable quotes from "TOP DOJ Lawyer SUDDENLY RESIGNS as EVERYONE QUITS!!"

• Understood that Trump's buds were actually all big tech, but she did a few things like she blocked a $14 billion merger between Ullet Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks.…

  about Juniper Networks · at 0:36

• Sexual predator and he's a felon and he's a horrible human being. But look what he posted as well. I'm pleased to nominate Gail Slater as assistant attorney general for the antirust division at the Department of Justice.

  about Donald Trump · at 2:20

• On to say that Gail Slater previously served at the FTC and my National Economic Council and most recently advising Vice President-elect JD Vance in his Senate office. Gail has…

  about J.D. Vance · at 3:23

• Resignation. And then here's what we're learning about. Here's the story from the Guardian. US Antirust Chief Gail Slater ousted from Trump Justice Department. decision comes…

  about Gail Slater · at 4:22

• One minute with him and he doesn't know anything about policy. He doesn't know what Gail Slater is doing. He doesn't know what the Sherman Act is. He knows that this guy Bob…

  about Sherman Antitrust Act · at 9:07

• Everybody, make sure you subscribe to Harry Litman's YouTube channel, Harry Litman's Substack, and Harry Litman's podcast. It's called Talking Feds. So, as soon as this ends, go check out.

  about Talking Feds · at 16:06

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Gail Slater — Person · Referenced DOJ official (subject of the story) · 8 mentions · first at 0:04
  Central figure discussed as the (now former) DOJ Antitrust Division leader who pursued merger enforcement (e.g., HPE–Juniper) and allegedly lost support from JD Vance and Pam Bondi, culminating in her ouster/resignation.
• Donald Trump — Person · Referenced political principal / decision-maker · 6 mentions · first at 0:00
  Portrayed as the appointing authority who selected Gail Slater for DOJ Antitrust and then, under pressure from allies/lobbyists, forced her out; also the focal point of criticism about governance and favoritism.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi — Person · Referenced senior DOJ leader / antagonist in the narrative · 5 mentions · first at 4:33
  Described as Attorney General who had an 'irrevocable' rift with Slater and whose support (along with Vance's) Slater allegedly lost, contributing to Slater being forced out.
  The Guardian. US Antirust Chief Gail Slater ousted from Trump Justice Department. decision comes after Slater lost the support of JD Vance and Pam Bondi the attorney general.…
• J.D. Vance — Person · Referenced political power broker affecting DOJ personnel · 5 mentions · first at 3:30
  Presented as a key political figure whose support Slater lost; also mentioned in Trump's nomination statement as someone Slater advised in his Senate office (as Vice President-elect).

Companies & orgs

• Department of Justice — Company · Government agency · 4 mentions · first at 0:15
  Central to the discussion as the employer of Gail Slater and the body responsible for antitrust enforcement.
  Loved that and as she harmmed the victims. Trump loved that. So Gail Slater, the head of the US Justice Department's antirust division, was forced out of the Trump regime after…
• Juniper Networks — Company · Business focus · 3 mentions · first at 0:48
  Mentioned in the context of a blocked $14 billion merger with Ullett Packard Enterprise, highlighting antitrust enforcement actions.
• Ullett Packard Enterprise — Company · Business focus · 1 mention · first at 6:08
  Mentioned in the context of a blocked $14 billion merger with Juniper Networks, highlighting antitrust enforcement actions.
  Understood that Trump's buds were actually all big tech, but she did a few things like she blocked a $14 billion merger between Ullet Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks.…

Concepts & topics

• Sherman Antitrust Act — Concept · Key argument · 2 mentions · first at 6:28
  Central to the discussion on antitrust enforcement and the legal framework within which Gail Slater operated.

Media & podcasts

• Talking Feds — Media · Referenced media · 2 mentions · first at 6:31
  Mentioned as the platform where Harry Litman discusses DOJ resignations and antitrust issues.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 One of Donald Trump's top DOJ officials has suddenly quit. Her name is Gail Slater. She was the assistant attorney general for the antirust division, meaning that she led the entire antirust division within the Department of Justice. And she was specifically appointed by Donald Trump to go after big tech. That's what Donald Trump said in his social media post, which I'll read to you in a moment. He said, "I want Slater. She's tough on big tech. Go after them. Slater. And Slater started to do that a little bit. I mean, she understood that Trump's buds were actually all big tech, but she did a few things like she blocked a $14 billion merger between Ullet Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks. And she was also starting to slow down some other big tech mergers. So big tech, which basically is living at Club Mara Lago and funding the Golden Ballroom and they're at Mara Lago itself and the Club

1:04 Rose Garden and all of these things. They This is like well reported. It's well known. They call up Trump big tech does and says you got to get rid of Slater. We hate her. She's the worst and she's stopping us from engaging in antirust violations. We're trying to run our monopolies here. price fix, price gouge, do all of the illegal stuff. And she's stopping us from doing that. Donald, what the hell? You want your golden ballroom, you want all of these things, you got to pay up. You know, you're giving these Binance guys pardons. You're doing all of this stuff.

1:38 We need your help also. So Trump delivered and he forced her out and he started disparaging her and saying all these things about her. And then Gail Slater said the following on Friday. It is with great sadness and abiding hope that I leave my role as the assistant attorney general for antirust today. It was indeed the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role. Huge thanks to all who supported me this past year. Most especially the men and women within the Justice Department antirust division. But let's go back a year when she was appointed by Donald Trump. I mean, look, this is why you can't work for this guy.

2:16 Like, it's it's impossible. I mean, despite also, he's a fascist and he's a sexual predator and he's a felon and he's a horrible human being. But look what he posted as well. I'm pleased to nominate Gail Slater as assistant attorney general for the antirust division at the Department of Justice. Big tech has run wild for years, stifling competition in our most innovative sector and as we all know, using its market power to crack down on the rights of so many Americans as well as those of Little Tech. I was proud to fight these abuses in my first term, and our Department of Justice's antirust team will continue that work under Gail's leadership. Just pause there for a second. Obviously, I know Trump's a liar about everything that he says, but if you took away Trump and you took away the fact that he's a liar and a horrible human being. A lot of what he said there I agree with. I want there to be strong

3:09 antirust enforcement under the Sherman Antirust Act. I teach antirust at law school. This is a good thing. We want people who are enforcing our antirust laws fairly and faithfully. Trump goes on to say that Gail Slater previously served at the FTC and my National Economic Council and most recently advising Vice President-elect JD Vance in his Senate office. Gail has also worked in the private sector, in media at Fox, and in the tech sector at Roku. In her new role, Gail will help ensure that our competition laws are enforced both vigorously and fairly with with clear rules that facilitate rather than stifle the ingenuity of our greatest companies. Congratulations, Gail.

3:53 Together, we will make America competitive again. Say what you want about Trump. Let me be clear. That's a very normal statement right there and a statement that I ag I agree with the thing. you know, I don't like JD Vance, obviously, but I read the statement, I'm like, okay, that's what lots of presidents would actually say about the person who they appointed that role, but then she's forced out. She suddenly resigns. She's being kind of mocked in the office, disparaged, isolated, and forced out. Um, so she had to submit her resignation. And then here's what we're learning about. Here's the story from the Guardian. US Antirust Chief Gail Slater ousted from Trump Justice Department. decision comes after Slater lost the support of JD Vance and Pam Bondi the attorney general. You would think after Pam Bondi's horrific appearance before the House Judiciary Committee that she would lose, you know,

4:45 uh, points with the Trump regime. Trump loved that appearance for Donald Trump. She she did amazing. It should tell you everything about Trump that that Pam Bondi disaster catastrophe 50,000 points the stock market has gone up 50 Trump loved that and as she harmmed the victims. Trump loved that. So Gail Slater, the head of the US Justice Department's antirust division, was forced out of the Trump regime after a turbulent tenure and months of simmering tensions with the senior cabinet officials. It is with great sadness that she's leaving. She writes her demonstration followed a strained relationship with Attorney General Pam Bondi who reiterated to the White House in recent weeks the differences over the direction and management of the division were irrevocable. She lost the trust of JD Vance. So what happened? How did this all go down? The decision is a victory for Bondi and a clutch of Donald Trump

5:40 lobbyists who started to grow increasingly frustrated with Slater last summer when she sought to block a 14 billion dollar merger between Ullet Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks, a cloud computing and software company. Supporters of Slater have portrayed her as an antirust purist deeply skeptical of Trump allies and lobbyists. But her skepticism of corporate mergers led critics to allege she was more interested in advancing her own agenda than the businessfriendly stance of the administration. In the Ullet Packard Enterprise case, according to three people directly familiar with the episode, Slater opposed the deal because it potentially created a duopoly for cloud computing and wireless networking systems. A duopoly and monospony. Like these are the things that you want to have an antirust person stopping. like that was the right thing to do. I want to bring in Harry Litman from the

6:31 Talking Feds YouTube channel, Talking Feds podcast and Talking Feds Substack. Harry, you and I have been chronicling on a weekly, sometimes twice a week basis the mass resignations at the DOJ. We did a video that got over a million views on this channel about how 8,000 DOJ lawyers and staff have now left with real top positions. This antirust position is a big position. You saw what Trump said he was looking for in the position. She seemed to deliver on what the requirements were. And then when she did, she got fired for doing what she thought that she was supposed to be doing. And she did it 50% frankly of what the job was supposed to be and she still got fired for it. And people should know Harry had one of the top positions in the Washington DC main justice office as well as he was the top federal prosecutor in the Western District of Pennsylvania. So you know this position well. Harry, this is this

7:30 is a pretty this is a bigger story than it's getting attention. I don't think it's really getting that much attention. It deserves more attention. That's why we're covering it.

7:37 Yeah. So that's exactly right. First, for starters, big job assistant attorney general that he was nominating her because it's a job that the Senate has to confirm just like deputy attorney general or attorney general. And antirust is a signature initiative of any administration. Is it going to be aggressive? Is it going to be soft? But we're talking about there are offices all over the country. the A a for uh antitrust, you know, for uh panels and you know, whatever happens in the future, this is the top person for antirust enforcement. They'll work with people at the FTC, etc., but it this is really where it's at. So, point one, big job. Point two, so Trump, uh it it really is a sort of um just another variation on a theme.

8:35 And what is that theme? It's, you know, he does somebody puts somebody in there and somebody writes a press release, but then somebody gets his ear at Mara Lago or maybe as he's walking here and there. We were told there was a previous story a few months back that this really puts me in mind of that there's all these sort of hovering like lobbyist types like uh you know the the um the court of a king in the 17th century and they get one minute with him and he doesn't know anything about policy. He doesn't know what Gail Slater is doing. He doesn't know what the Sherman Act is. He knows that this guy Bob uh says, "I want her out." And that is how he operates. He's incapable of thinking in sort of broad strokes, but he loves on in either direction, right? What for Trump, he likes to the this is sort of the taco idea, make big proclamations and then dollop out exceptions. That's one way to

9:41 increase his power. And then also the in the other direction say a certain thing and but somebody with certain power there really does appear to be a permanent crew like stationed at the White House. They the not long ago San Francisco got a special break uh in the um something having to do with the whole immigration initiative. That was just some stoogge at stoogge some some uh you know rich guy for a company who has his ear and Trump loves to dole out favors that's what matters more then finally antirust you know how do you get crosswise with Pam Bondi or JD Vance um nobody could get c crosswise because of policy of civil rights division civil uh but antirust That's big companies. Big companies, that's money. And money that gets the ear of these uh people. And so, you know, the the you get in the door, you give a mouthful to um Bondi or you name it, JD Vans, and then the the die is cast. you know the that money really

11:01 talks in the administr more than it talks. It's sort of all there is. It's the only lingua frana. Can I be uh uh you know can I talk some Roman today? Just kidding. Um you know it's it's um so characteristic money exceptions as opposed to policy. And then of course the most disloyal guy in the world. You try to think I I thought about this um Ben as I've been wondering okay what what's up with Stephen Miller or when when will you know the next when will Pam Bondi's head be on the guillotine? Has there ever been someone that Trump has been a steady loyal supporter of? He is until he isn't and then he is again.

11:47 He brings him back of course. uh you know, Steve Bannon who just outrageously had his conviction basically erased by this administration. But that's he the guy is you could say retail only. He just doesn't know what he's what anything about government policy, but he knows how to uh get tough on individuals and dole out favors to others. and Gail Slater is just the um the the the person who, you know, was was uh in the way. Uh and as you say, this has not been an aggressive antirust administration. This is a pretty uh half measure of the things they've done. But the difference is somebody can then go grouse to Trump or Bondi who also, you know, want to want to uh be be in bed with certain individual big corporate interests. And there you go. No more antitrust enforcement. Who knows what what even happens going forward now? And as is always the case with his inmperate capriccious firings, who who's ready to

12:57 take the job knowing that uh they could be subject to the guillotines coming down any minute and the message has to be do nothing and maybe you can save your skin.

13:11 The point is too there's nobody in this position now. That's right. There's no one who's in who's who's leading the antirust division of the Department of Justice. And there's no backup plan. There's no I mean usually if something like this were to ever happen again regardless of what political party you are Democratic administration Republican administration, if someone leaving this top job, the top lawyer leaves who has a big portfolio of cases, you're going to have to transition. Who's going to get the next files? How are these things going to be handled?

13:50 There's usually a pretty big announcement. we'd expect Pam Bondi or America Garland or someone who's the AG to address this. I just with so much happening in this regime, I know this news may not feel like uh in normal times this would be a gigantic front page story at least in the journal um or or business or a business uh newspaper. But now there's nobody there. I mean look there is if you I can say you know there are deputies there who acting but an antirust you can't have a sort might might even be a oh perish the thought a career person uh you know when when uh you have to do a big uh enforcement action or turn things down you need muscle stature you need congressional uh confirmation that re that really is by the way you know we think about will they get through or when you're when you really are are trying to push hard on something, it matters that the Senate confirms you to that that job. So,

14:56 they'll it it there'll be people there, but it'll be toothless basically. Uh especially because who the hell is going to uh do any direct? It doesn't even give a communication. sometimes his his um nasty moves communicate like go really hard uh on ice or whatever. This is just, you know, you you can uh be there as long as somebody who happens to be hanging around and and knows the president doesn't put a bug in his ear. They're they're they're completely it's not simply that there's no one in the top job but because of this capriccious action there's no direction and antitrust uh you know it takes it takes coones I know I'm being uh many different languages today but it really you know that's a big big thing when I I'm I'm thinking about the action against Microsoft when uh I was at DOJ and it really does uh represent the the big- time policies of the administration. Now, we don't have any

16:04 big- time policies. Everybody, make sure you subscribe to Harry Litman's YouTube channel, Harry Litman's Substack, and Harry Litman's podcast. It's called Talking Feds. So, as soon as this ends, go check out Talking Feds. Thanks, Ben.

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Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "TOP DOJ Lawyer SUDDENLY RESIGNS as EVERYONE QUITS!!"?

Ben Meiselas (Host), Gail Slater (Guest), Harry Litman (Guest).

What is "TOP DOJ Lawyer SUDDENLY RESIGNS as EVERYONE QUITS!!" about?

Gail Slater, a top DOJ official appointed by Donald Trump to lead the antitrust division, has abruptly resigned amid pressure from big tech companies opposed to her regulatory efforts. During her tenure, Slater took significant actions, including blocking a major merger, but faced backlash that ultimately led to her departure, which she announced with a message of gratitude for her team.

What is mentioned in this MeidasTouch episode?

9 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Gail Slater, Donald Trump, Department of Justice, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Sherman Antitrust Act, J.D. Vance. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "TOP DOJ Lawyer SUDDENLY RESIGNS as EVERYONE QUITS!!"?

The episode runs 17 min; the transcript is about 2,654 words in 21 timestamped sections.

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