Former DOJ antitrust official Roger Alford presents himself as a “real MAGA reformer.” He suggests that President Trump’s populist agenda, which he claims “MAGA is just a name,” is compromised by lobbyists. Recently, he criticized Trump’s FCC and FTC on a podcast.
In an interview led by consultant Christina Caffarra, who has ties to Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft, Alford was asked if he believed that antitrust enforcement is being misused to pursue agendas like diversity and equity.
Alford defended certain limited antitrust measures against what he labeled a censorship conspiracy. He emphasized that combating leftist cultural influence in America is a key focus for him, despite Trump’s FCC chair Brendan Kerr and FTC chair Andrew Ferguson not prioritizing the cultural battles he opposes.
Under Kerr’s direction, the FCC asked T-Mobile and Verizon to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as a merger condition, aligning with the agency’s public interest standards. Ferguson has urged the dominant ad agency Omnicom to cease political bias against conservatives and lift advertising boycotts as part of the merger review process.
Alford expressed agreement with criticisms of Kerr and Ferguson, referencing Gale Slater, the current antitrust head at the DOJ, who said, “We want to focus on what matters.” Alford seems to advocate for prioritizing the concerns of everyday consumers over the cultural clash regarding censorship.
This podcast isn’t the first time Alford’s “MAGA Reformer” image has been scrutinized. Reports from the Daily Caller indicate he previously criticized Trump at a university in Beijing, calling Trump’s trade war approach with China “slipsy and unfounded,” suggesting that such actions could negatively affect American interests.
Alford’s apparent pro-China stance seems aligned with the DOJ’s leadership directives, possibly tied to his dismissal over disagreement with a merger resolution between HPE and Juniper.
According to previous reports by Breitbart News, Alford is undergoing potential ethical scrutiny during his media engagements. The Center for Advancing Security in America has lodged a complaint against him for allegedly acting against the interests of his former employer, the DOJ.
With tensions apparent, a spokesperson for Trump’s DOJ pointed out the rift, emphasizing Alford’s conflict with former officials in antitrust enforcement.
