By Trendsetter Tribune 
Abigail “Gail” Slater was forced out of her role as the head of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division on Thursday, February 12, 2026, marking the end of a turbulent 11-month tenure. Once a close ally of Vice President JD Vance, Slater’s departure followed a series of high-stakes clashes with Attorney General Pam Bondi over corporate mergers and internal management.
The dismissal signals a significant shift in the administration’s approach to competition policy, as the White House moves to consolidate control over the DOJ’s powerful antitrust arm.
The Hewlett Packard-Juniper Fault Line
The primary catalyst for Slater’s ousting was her attempt to block the $14 billion merger between Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Juniper Networks.
Slater’s Stance: She argued the deal would create a duopoly in cloud-computing and wireless-networking markets, potentially raising prices for American consumers.
The Conflict: Attorney General Bondi and various Trump-aligned lobbyists reportedly favored a more “business-friendly” stance. The situation escalated when Slater allegedly told Bondi that the U.S. intelligence community had no national security concerns regarding blocking the merger.
The Intelligence Rebuttal: CIA Director John Ratcliffe later informed Bondi that blocking the deal would actually pose a national security risk. This discrepancy led Bondi to conclude that Slater had been dishonest to keep the lawsuit alive.
The DOJ ultimately dropped the lawsuit in June 2025 in favor of a settlement, over Slater’s objections.
A Breakdown in Alliances
Perhaps most damaging to Slater’s position was the loss of her most powerful advocate, JD Vance.
Slater rose to prominence as a senior advisor to Vance during the 2024 campaign. While Vance initially protected her after the HPE-Juniper dispute, his support evaporated when reports surfaced that Slater was repeatedly invoking his name to shield herself from Bondi’s oversight. Sources indicate Vance grew weary of the “name-dropping” and the persistent friction between Slater and the Attorney General, eventually deciding not to interfere with Bondi’s management of the department.
Internal Tensions and the “Paris Incident”
The relationship between Slater and Bondi reportedly deteriorated beyond repair following a dispute over international travel.
The Travel Ban: Bondi denied Slater’s request to attend a competition conference in Paris, citing excessive costs.
The Defiance: Slater attended the conference anyway.
The Retaliation: In an extraordinary move, Bondi responded by canceling Slater’s government credit cards.
The Fallout: Acting Leadership
Following her resignation, Omeed Assefi, a deputy within the division overseeing criminal enforcement, has been tapped to lead the Antitrust Division on an interim basis.
While MAGA influencers like Mike Davis have celebrated the move—labeling Slater a “rogue” operative—some bipartisan allies, including Senator Chuck Grassley and Senator Amy Klobuchar, expressed regret over her exit, citing her work on landmark cases against Big Tech.