Trump Nominates Donor to FTC, Promises More Free-Market 'Competition'
Donald Trump has nominated David MacNeil, a company chief and significant Republican donor, to the Federal Trade Commission. This, according to the NY Times, signals a strengthening of conservative voices on the regulatory body. What the report doesn't explicitly highlight is the almost transactional nature of such appointments: MacNeil, identified as a donor, isn't just a 'company chief' but the
CEO of WeatherTech, a prominent automotive accessories manufacturer. His potential role at the FTC would place him in a powerful position to shape competition policy for industries he knows intimately—perhaps too intimately. One might wonder if this is about ensuring robust market competition or rather ensuring 'competition' that benefits established players and their political benefactors. How
many CEOs of large corporations are nominated to 'regulate' their own sectors before we admit the revolving door is now a permanent fixture?