The White House has withdrawn Ryan Baasch’s nomination for a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seat. Instead, Baasch will become deputy director of the National Economic Council (NEC), according to a White House official. This elevates his role in shaping technology, telecommunications, and competition policy. Baasch will serve as deputy assistant to President Donald Trump, replacing Robin Colwell at the NEC, which advises the President on economic policy.
The move comes as the administration seeks greater influence over agencies and tech regulation, following the dismissal of two Democratic FTC commissioners in March. In December, U.S. chipmaker Intel appointed Colwell as its head of government affairs, shortly after the U.S. government acquired a 10% stake in the company. Cale Clingenpeel and Paige Willey will continue in their roles as NEC deputies. Intel is an American multinational corporation and technology company that is one of the world’s largest semiconductor chip manufacturers.
Baasch was intended to fill the FTC seat previously held by Melissa Holyoak, a Republican nominated by Trump as the U.S. Attorney for Utah. Had Baasch been appointed, the commission would have comprised three Republican members. The FTC is structured to ensure that no more than three of its five commissioners are from the same political party. The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil U.S. antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection.
Trump’s earlier dismissal of the agency’s two Democratic commissioners in March has led to a U.S. Supreme Court case. The case could potentially tighten the president’s control over government agencies designed by Congress to have some independence from political influence. Before his nomination, Baasch worked in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office and at the law firm Latham & Watkins.
