Pam Bondi Forces Out JD Vance Loyalist Abigail Slater from Justice Department Antitrust Post
Attorney General Pam Bondi has ousted Abigail Slater, a longtime loyalist to Vice President JD Vance, from her senior role at the Justice Department's antitrust division. Slater was forced out on Thursday following rising tensions with senior cabinet officials, including Bondi herself, according to reports from The Guardian.
Irreconcilable Differences and Name-Dropping Allegations
Bondi reportedly informed White House officials weeks ago that her differences with Slater had become irreconcilable. The situation deteriorated further when complaints surfaced that Slater repeatedly invoked Vice President Vance's name to shield herself during disputes with the attorney general.
'It is with great sadness and abiding hope that I leave my role as AAG [assistant attorney general] for Antitrust today,' Slater wrote in a social media post announcing her departure.
Slater's career in Trump world took off when she became a senior adviser to Vance during the 2024 presidential campaign. After Donald Trump's victory, she was confirmed to her Justice Department post with backing from 78 senators.
Clash Over $14 Billion Merger and National Security Concerns
The rift between Bondi and Slater intensified last year when Slater attempted to block a $14 billion merger between Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks, a cloud-computing and software company combination. Bondi and other Trump-aligned lobbyists became frustrated with this move.
Initially, Vice President Vance backed Slater's position on the merger, instructing aides that she should not be criticized for opposing it. However, his support evaporated once he realized her relationship with Bondi had deteriorated beyond repair.
Slater told Bondi that US intelligence agencies had raised no concerns about blocking the merger, arguing instead that the deal would create a duopoly over cloud-computing systems. However, CIA Director John Ratcliffe later informed Bondi that blocking the merger would pose national security risks and expressed outrage at not being consulted.
This incident led Bondi to believe Slater had lied to her in order to kill the merger, further damaging their professional relationship.
Additional Conflicts and Final Straws
Tensions grew further when Bondi refused to approve Slater's request to attend a conference in Paris last year. Despite this refusal, Slater attended the conference anyway, prompting Bondi to cancel her government credit cards in response, according to The Guardian.
Mixed Reactions to Slater's Departure
MAGA influencers and other Trump loyalists have defended Slater as an antitrust advocate skeptical of corporate lobbyists. However, critics allege she was more focused on advancing her own agenda as head of the antitrust division.
Republican lawyer Mike Davis wrote on social media platform X: 'Gail Slater was a long-time corporate lobbyist. With her own agenda. She made erratic decisions. She went out of her way to knife too many Trump admin colleagues. She leaked, lied, disobeyed, and subverted. She got fired. She's not the victim.'
The Daily Mail contacted the Vice President's office for comment on Slater's ouster but received no immediate response.
