this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2025
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Summary

Donald Trump fired FTC Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, the agency’s only Democrats, prompting accusations of illegal action.

Both cited Supreme Court precedent protecting FTC commissioners from dismissal without cause. Bedoya warned Trump wants the FTC to serve corporate interests, while Slaughter said the administration fears accountability.

The 1935 Supreme Court ruling bars presidents from removing FTC commissioners arbitrarily.

Critics say the move undermines regulatory independence and eliminates opposition voices that could challenge Trump’s policies favoring major corporations.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 hour ago

so, two rational conclusions here:

if he illegally fired you, you were not fired. show up to your job, sue when they don't pay you.

OR

laws are bullshit. grab a gun and find a nazi to point it at.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 hours ago (3 children)

This makes no sense unless he can't get his own people on the FTC or the FTC Republicans aren't amenable to his agenda. It's a bipartisan agency and the head leaving earlier left a spot open to swing the 5 person board to the Republicans.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 28 minutes ago

I don't understand why the Fuhrer voted himself additional emergency powers, he should have as much power as he needs as chancellor of the reichstag?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

okay, so, 'bipartisan' but the fiscal conservatives sided with the wild eyed fascists, because they always do that.

the thing is, there's a split there. the fiscal conservative oligarch wall street coke fiends know the FTC exists to create a perception of stability, making america an appealing place to invest, and put your money, so they get more money.

the wild eyed fascists are rabid frothing ideaologues who just need somebody to hate. right now that's 'the government'.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 42 minutes ago

It took me a second but I think you're saying this is a factional thing within the GOP. Where the Christian fascists just wanted the FTC dead and they got Trump to listen to them?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Why are you still expecting nuance? They're Democrats and haven't kissed his ass yet. That means they're on the chopping block.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 41 minutes ago

Entirely possible with this asshole. And with more coffee on board it strikes me that making the FTC unable to function at all may be the goal.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 hours ago
[–] [email protected] 157 points 13 hours ago (3 children)

Biden: "I can't fire a postmaster general who actively tried to sabotage the election against me in 2020 because it would be against the law."

Trump: " I fired someone who SCOTUS directly said i can't fire because some people openly bribed me"

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Or Biden and the 10k$ of student debt - which he buckled on basically immediately. Handouts to donors are okay, helping Americans isn’t.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 hour ago

This is a perfect example of why refuting bullshit is so much harder than generating it or spreading it.

The Biden admin tried several times to forgive debt and was stopped by every republican and finally the Supreme Court. They didn't drop it, they were forced to stop by Republicans after repeated attempts. If they didn't find a legal path to forgiveness, it could be clawed back easily in the future.

The Trump administration can do whatever the fuck it wants right now because Republicans are letting them with their overall majority.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Biden then preceded to fill the open slots on DeJoys board with DeJoy supporters btw.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

that was the wierd part he did.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I'm not sure I buy into Dems being Republican-Lite, but through that lens Biden's actions do seem pretty suspicious

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 hour ago

They're both pro capitalism parties sponsored by the 1%, Democrats suck up social change movements to ensure they don't challenge the status quo.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 12 hours ago

Hey at least they have the moral high ground - they'll have a good view watching the country sink into fascism from up there

[–] [email protected] 29 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

What I don't understand is, in what sense did he actually fire you? It's illegal. Just show up to work anyways.

[–] [email protected] 38 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

If the security team and the operations team are willing to obey the order and revoke access then the illegal firing is very much effective.

The jackboot thugs that work security for these government agencies have repeatedly demonstrated that they're happy to listen to the children running DOGE over the members of the agency that they're supposed to be securing, so at that point what do you expect one of these beaurocrats to do? Get into a fist fight with all the mall cops that are itching to serve the fascists?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 hours ago

That would be something at least

[–] [email protected] 19 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

Enjoy your tiered internet, US citizens! Want to access cnn.com? That's in the special site, requires the premium package of 150/month extra but we'll throw in free reddit.com…

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 hours ago

Hey bud, FTC, not FCC. Both woulf be bad but this might be worse.

FTC website (current 20250319)

The Commission is headed by five Commissioners, nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, each serving a seven-year term. No more than three Commissioners can be of the same political party. The President chooses one Commissioner to act as Chair.

FTC website (current 20250319)

The FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection stops unfair, deceptive and fraudulent business practices by collecting reports from consumers and conducting investigations, suing companies and people that break the law, developing rules to maintain a fair marketplace, and educating consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

Xitter now cost you 50 cents for the privilage of posting a tweet bootlicking president musk

(and the magats would happily do it)

[–] [email protected] 138 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

Most blatantly and openly venal miserable and horrible attempt at an "administration" in the last 60yrs... Likely in US history.

Helluva legacy for you Chump! Good one!

🙄 🙄 🖕 🖕 🖕

[–] [email protected] 40 points 18 hours ago (9 children)

All that he's missing is a war America is involved in, not related to the trade tariffs. We'll find out which country he wants to go to war with soon.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 hours ago

Here in America we have great wars, the best wars, possibly ever. We do war so well we fight on both sides, and we always win. We're so good at war, we keep it civil. The most civil of any war, possibly ever.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (1 children)

The fact that approval ratings for Trump are still as high as they are while the approval for the only other far, far, far lesser evil you can vote, the Democrats, is sinking, does not give me any hope whatsoever for the US, were I naive enough to believe that the next elections that matter could come soon enough or that they would still remain legitimate. The US no longer has a trace of Democracy except for the mask it wears, it is at the same or even lower level than Russia's.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

I think it's important to put it in context: the Democrats are hemorrhaging support from their base who thinks they should be doing more to resist this administration. That does not mean they are losing support in favor of Republicans.

Meanwhile Trump is only losing a tiny amount of support because his base is a cult of personality that worships him. They won't turn against him until he's hurting them so directly that they can't rationalize it as somehow being Obama's fault. But many of them are delusional enough that they will never abandon their fealty so matter how much he harms them.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 12 hours ago

So, let’s say after we add this to the already massive stack of criminal acts he and his jackbooted loyalists have done, we all gather around and admire how big it is while the few who remain that are capable of doing anything at all about it- do absolutely nothing at all about it.

[–] [email protected] 46 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Woke: Get illegally fired and act like you were fired illegally. Keep going to work. Let security block your entry. Argue that you still work there because the order to fire you was illegal. When you're arrested, take the matter to court and get legal standing on the fact that your firing was illegal.

Broke: Get illegally fired and whine on social media about it.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 12 hours ago

I'm sure going into the FTC, swiping their security fob and having it deny them entry would be a huge boon for their cause. If they're asked to leave by security and they don't they can be legally arrested for trespassing.

The same afternoon she was dismissed, Slaughter is out with an official statement and on the phone to multiple press agencies to get the story out immediately. Sure sounds like someone taking action to me. No doubt she will take them to court (likely the other guy will join her) but that doesn't happen overnight, this was literally yesterday - best lawyer in the world would struggle to have an actionable case ready yet.

You'll note that none of the above can be done if you're still under arrest for trespass..

[–] [email protected] 59 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

administration fears accountability

Pfffft. That is so fucking bullshit. No they don't. They don't fear accountability or responsibility. This administration is lead by a 34-count convicted felon/rapist, a two-time impeached, failed businessman of a crook. What the fuck does he have to lose in terms of credibility that makes him think twice of the actions he's done?

[–] earphone843 31 points 17 hours ago (10 children)

He straight up admitted on air that the election was rigged, and there hasn't been a peep from anyone

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Petitions don't do shit. What good are petitions going to do, with an administration that waives off such?

We need action and this isn't the kind of action.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 hours ago

@venotic @MicroWave @earphone843 they're not asking Trump. They're asking the boards of elections in three specific counties. I agree that petitions always feel pointless but you said nobody was doing anything - somebody is at least trying to do something.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

He's saying the dems rigged the election, so his second term is late enough to be president during the Olympics and World Cup.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)

I love that when Trump talks all the conservatives come out of the woodwork to tell us "what he REALLY meant" even though his words are plainly obvious to everyone.

Oh maybe you can let me know how Musk did a perfectly normal gesture, or maybe it's because he's autistic so Nazi salutes are cool now.

Maybe you can tell me about how he's doing big brain stewardship of taxpayer dollars and optimizing government efficiency and not butchering government institutions with a chainsaw so they can give themselves tax breaks.

God you conservatives are just so gosh darned smart. Bless your hearts.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 52 minutes ago

LOL. I'm not conservative or even liberal. It seems obvious he's talking about the 2020 election to me 🤷. Yes, Musk and Trump are fascists, and yes they are destroying the US, and are probably going to cause unimaginable amounts of suffering.

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[–] [email protected] 58 points 18 hours ago

Just illegal, fascist things.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Do what a Trump official would do, refuse to leave. What are they going to do?

[–] [email protected] 31 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Earlier today, the DC police forcibly removed the employees of an independent agency after the employees called said police to get the illegal attempted-invaders removed.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 12 hours ago

Then make them do that

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