Fired Up: FTC Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter Say They’ll Fight Trump

Fired Up: FTC Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter Say They’ll Fight Trump

President Trump fired Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter, the two Democratic commissioners at the Federal Trade Commission, last week, sending shock waves through political and business circles. The FTC is an independent, bipartisan agency and, as a defender of antitrust and consumer protection laws, one of the most important government watchdogs. FTC commissioners serve seven year terms and, according to a 1935 SCOTUS ruling, can only be fired for cause. But even though, based on that decision, Bedoya’s and Slaughter’s terminations are illegal, FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson has come out in support of Trump’s firing power. The White House says it’s ready to take the case to the Supreme Court. Kara talks to Bedoya and Slaughter about why this happened now, what Elon Musk and other tech billionaires stand to gain by getting rid of “minority commissioners,” and why business leaders are concerned that Trump’s move could affect other independent agencies, like the Federal Reserve. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episoder(380)

The Story Behind Netflix’s Most Popular Film Ever

The Story Behind Netflix’s Most Popular Film Ever

Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” wasn’t just one of the biggest movies of 2025; it was Netflix’s most popular title — movie or show — ever. Four songs from the film’s soundtrack also simultaneously crac...

23 Feb 57min

Inside the MAGA Blueprint for Breaking the Midterms

Inside the MAGA Blueprint for Breaking the Midterms

President Trump tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election, and he’s already laying the groundwork to undermine our confidence in the midterm elections. Kara brings together three experts to map...

19 Feb 59min

Scott Galloway: How to Hit Trump Where it Hurts (Unsubscribe)

Scott Galloway: How to Hit Trump Where it Hurts (Unsubscribe)

Scott Galloway is spearheading a consumer-led protest movement with a simple goal: to get people to cancel their subscriptions to tech companies that have disproportionate influence over the U.S. econ...

16 Feb 46min

Jane Fonda on How to Turn Rage Into Hope

Jane Fonda on How to Turn Rage Into Hope

Jane Fonda has been fighting for social justice for over five decades, but in the past year, she’s kicked things up a notch. This past fall, she relaunched the Committee for the First Amendment, and h...

12 Feb 49min

Defending Trump’s ‘Enemies’ with Attorney Abbe Lowell

Defending Trump’s ‘Enemies’ with Attorney Abbe Lowell

President Trump makes no secret about having a long list of perceived enemies. And for the people he targets, there’s one lawyer many of them call: Abbe Lowell. The longtime Washington defense attorne...

9 Feb 57min

How to Knock Out Super PACs with Lawrence Lessig

How to Knock Out Super PACs with Lawrence Lessig

Kara talks to Lawrence Lessig about his fight to end Super PACs — without passing a constitutional amendment or overturning Citizens United.  The Harvard law professor and Equal Citizens founder wa...

5 Feb 1h 1min

The Onion’s Ben Collins on Political Satire & Why Trump Isn’t Funny

The Onion’s Ben Collins on Political Satire & Why Trump Isn’t Funny

Since becoming CEO of the Onion two years ago, former disinformation reporter Ben Collins has helped revitalize the satirical newspaper by relaunching its print edition, bringing back the Onion News N...

2 Feb 58min

Inside Rivian’s Strategy to Survive a Hostile EV Market

Inside Rivian’s Strategy to Survive a Hostile EV Market

Kara talks with Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe at a tense time for electric vehicles: domestic sales have cooled, federal EV tax credits are gone, and tariffs are raising costs across supply chain...

29 Jan 1h 2min

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