Attempts to curb Big Tech’s influence may hinge on the fate of one woman – The Irish Times

Donald Trump is doing Kamala Harris a huge favor by being a narcissistic, babbling, irritable old man who soaks up media attention because her campaign has so far focused on vibes and studiously avoided policy details. Harris has dodged a range of issues, from whether she supports any restrictions on abortion to how to reconcile supporting Israel while also supporting Palestinian rights.

Another evasion that hasn’t gotten enough attention is the fate of Lina Khan, Biden’s appointee to chair the Federal Trade Commission, a passionate advocate for breaking up not only Big Tech but Big Business in general. Ronald Reagan decided in the 1980s to abandon his strict antitrust and antitrust policies, an end to policies that had been pioneered by Teddy Roosevelt in the early 20th century, who broke up the power of a massive railroad conglomerate and then 43 other major corporations. In the late 1930s, Franklin D. Roosevelt fought Big Oil and protected small businesses and retailers from the same intimidation tactics against suppliers and competitors that Walmart and Amazon are accused of using today. Khan is reviving the spirit of antitrust, but with an even broader goal: ending the undemocratic dominance of large corporations around the world.

Two billionaire campaign backers of Harris have said Khan must go. Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn founder and Microsoft board member, and Barry Diller, the media and internet mogul who has been involved in everything from launching Fox Broadcasting to Ticketmaster, have made clear that their support for Harris is not contingent on Khan being fired. But it is telling that Harris has been slow to defend Khan.

One reason Trump, despite his horrifying character flaws, has such a strong following is that many Americans believe their lives are more precarious on every level. Social mobility is part of the American dream; many now believe it is a myth. In the first quarter of 2024, 67% of total wealth in the United States was held by the top 10% of earners. The bottom 50% held only 2.5% of total wealth. In a US YouGov/Economist poll, 60% said the US is headed in the wrong direction, while the economy, particularly inflation, remains the top concern for both Trump and Harris supporters. Some economists are racking their brains over this, because the economy is stronger than voters think. While job openings slowed in August, the unemployment rate fell from 4.3% in July to 4.2% in August. The unemployment rate was 6.4% when Biden took office. But as the American economist James K. Galbraith noted in March, the type of work matters, and many of them are in the service sector, and much more precarious than previous generations. Pandemic payments provided a cushion, but that cushion has run dry. Meanwhile, in many parts of the U.S., first-time homebuyers are being squeezed out of the market, while grocery and utility bills are still much higher than they used to be. Voters aren’t as stupid as some economists seem to think. They know the system is rigged against irresponsible corporations that maximize profits.

Khan has both supporters and detractors across the political spectrum. Senator Elizabeth Warren was a major influence on Joe Biden’s decision to hire her, but she has also been praised by J.D. Vance, the Republican vice presidential candidate. Her haters, of which there are many, complain that she hurts businesses by preventing mergers—by which they mainly mean the acquisition of smaller companies by larger ones. These same people are not fond of Jonathan Canter at the Justice Department, who is equally eager to break up monopolies. He has spearheaded two antitrust cases against Google.

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Karen Dunn, a high-powered Washington lawyer, was Harris’s primary coach for her debate with Trump this week. As Google’s lead attorney, she delivered opening statements in defense of the tech giant last Monday in a case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice. The case centers on the allegation that Google has an illegal dominance in the technology that delivers online advertising and has used its size to crush competition. While no wrongdoing has been suggested, it seems ironic that Dunn, who has prepared every Democratic candidate since 2008 for televised debates, should also be involved in defending Google in a case brought by the Biden-Harris administration. Dunn also prepared Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to testify before the bipartisan House Antitrust Committee. She has successfully represented Apple and Uber on antitrust charges. Her involvement with both Big Tech and Harris is not uncommon in U.S. politics.

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Ultimately, Trump will likely fire Khan, no matter what Vance thinks. His flaws provide a shield against Harris’s probing questions about her position on Khan’s future. A straightforward answer to that question would reveal much about her true priorities.