The White House has withdrawn Ryan Baasch’s nomination for a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seat, instead appointing him as deputy director of the National Economic Council (NEC). A White House official informed Reuters of the decision, indicating an elevation of Baasch’s role in shaping technology, telecommunications, and competition policy. Baasch will now serve as deputy assistant to President Donald Trump, succeeding Robin Colwell at the NEC, an organisation which advises the president on economic policy.
The move occurs as Trump aims to exert greater influence over agencies and tech regulation, a pursuit intensified after the dismissal of two Democratic FTC commissioners in March. This development follows Intel’s appointment of Colwell as its head of government affairs in December, shortly after the U.S. government acquired a 10% stake in the chipmaker. Cale Clingenpeel and Paige Willey will continue in their respective roles as NEC deputies.
Baasch’s appointment to the FTC would have filled the 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 had three Republican members. The FTC is structured to ensure that no more than three of its five commissioners belong to the same political party. Trump’s dismissal of the two Democratic commissioners in March has led to a U.S. Supreme Court case, which could potentially grant the president greater control over government agencies Congress designed to be somewhat insulated from political influence.
Before his nomination, Baasch was an employee in the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and at the law firm Latham & Watkins.
