Trump Appointees Overrule Career Staff to Greenlight Corporate Mergers

The DOJ's current leadership is pushing through the merger of low-cost Mexican carriers Viva Aerobus and Volaris, alongside a deal between Italy’s Saipem and the UK’s Subsea7. The latter has drawn formal objections from energy giants ExxonMobil, Petrobras, and TotalEnergies, who argue the resulting monopoly will inflate costs for subsea oil operations.

Bill Baer, former assistant attorney general for the antitrust division, described the strategy as a unilateral surrender on enforcement. He warned that the move will inevitably lead to higher prices and reduced market quality. Under the oversight of senior official Stanley Woodward, the department has signaled a preference for settlements over litigation. Attorneys within the division suggest this approach removes the threat of court action, leaving the government with little leverage to block anti-competitive behavior. While the administration frames its agenda as deregulation, critics argue the selective application of antitrust tools undermines the division’s century-old mission to protect consumers from concentrated corporate power.