Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater on Wednesday delivered a major policy speech laying out how the Trump administration’s “America First Antitrust” approach is designed to empower American farmers and small businesses against corporate consolidation and skyrocketing input costs.
Speaking at Drake University Law School, Slater argued that robust antitrust enforcement is essential to defending the free-market system, especially in agriculture. She cited rising seed, fertilizer, fuel, and interest costs as evidence that monopolistic behavior is hurting America’s food producers and threatening their future. Slater affirmed that President Trump’s Justice Department, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is committed to restoring competitive conditions so American families can thrive.
Slater noted the DOJ enforces the Sherman and Clayton Acts across all sectors, including agriculture. It also shares authority under the Packers and Stockyards Act with the USDA. She emphasized that the administration has already investigated mergers in the seed industry and, in its second term, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly enforce competition in key agricultural markets.
The data is troubling: seed costs are up 18%, fuel and oil costs rose 32%, fertilizer costs jumped 37%, and interest payments increased 73% since 2020. These figures, Slater said, demand a renewed antitrust focus. The DOJ’s Chicago office will now lead on agriculture enforcement under the leadership of Zachary Trotter and Ben Christenson.
Slater stressed that today’s conservatism must address threats from both government overreach and private monopolies. She said voters across the political spectrum agree: big corporations have too much power, and strong antitrust enforcement is necessary. A recent Rasmussen poll cited by Slater found 70% of voters agree the government should do more to enforce antitrust laws, with 66% believing it would lower prices for consumers.
Referencing her own family ties to ranching in Oregon, Slater concluded by saying the Trump administration’s goal is to ensure ranchers and farmers can pass on their livelihoods to the next generation. To do so, she said, requires a “free, fair, and competitive market”—and a Justice Department ready to act with “open hearts and open minds.”
