Get your free personalized podcast brief

We scan new podcasts and send you the top 5 insights daily.

The push to dismantle the "administrative state" is now powered by an alliance between traditional conservative legal thinkers and newly radicalized tech figures. Their anger towards regulators like Gary Gensler (SEC) and Lina Khan (FTC) has made them receptive to theories that give the President total control.

Related Insights

AI and immense tech wealth are becoming a lightning rod for populist anger from both political parties. The right is fracturing its alliance with tech over censorship concerns, while the left is turning on tech for its perceived alignment with the right, setting up a challenging political environment.

From Trump's endorsement of media mergers that benefit him to politically motivated FCC probes, regulatory agencies are being weaponized. Their purpose is shifting from independent review for consumer benefit to tools for rewarding allies and punishing political enemies.

After temporary alliances like 'Red and Tech vs. Blue', the next major political shift will unite the establishment left and right against the tech industry. Blues resent tech's capitalists, Reds resent its immigrants, and the political center blames it for societal ills. This will create a powerful, unified front aiming to curtail tech's influence and wealth.

The Supreme Court is systematically dismantling laws that protect heads of independent agencies (like the CFPB and FTC) from being fired at will. This aligns with the "unitary executive theory," concentrating power in the presidency and eroding the apolitical nature of regulatory bodies.

The arguments to allow presidential firing of FTC commissioners create a slippery slope that threatens other independent, multi-member bodies. This logic could extend to the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors, potentially politicizing U.S. monetary policy—an outcome so significant that even the court's conservative justices appear wary of its implications.

The Supreme Court case 'Trump v. Slaughter,' concerning the firing of an FTC commissioner, is poised to dismantle longstanding protections for independent agencies. A ruling favoring the president would transfer significant power from Congress to the executive branch, fundamentally altering the separation of powers in American government.

A new populist coalition is emerging to counter Big Tech's influence, uniting politicians from opposite ends of the spectrum like Senator Ed Markey and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. This alliance successfully defeated an industry-backed provision to block state-level AI regulation, signaling a significant political realignment.

The administration's executive order to block state-level AI laws is not about creating a unified federal policy. Instead, it's a strategic move to eliminate all regulation entirely, providing a free pass for major tech companies to operate without oversight under the guise of promoting U.S. innovation and dominance.

Trump's efforts are not just breaking norms but constitute an attempt at a full-blown "political revolution." The goal is to gain direct political control over institutions like the FBI and DOJ, weaponize them against political opponents, and eliminate the checks and balances that constrain presidential power.

The intense state interest in regulating tech like crypto and AI is a response to the tech sector's rise to a power level that challenges the state. The public narrative is safety, but the underlying motivation is maintaining control over money, speech, and ultimately, the population.

The Tech Industry's Right-Wing Shift Fuels the Political War Against Independent Federal Agencies | RiffOn