White House fires DOJ antitrust chief Slater while she reviewed Netflix-Warner merger

The White House ousted Gail Slater, head of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, on February 12, 2026, effective immediately. Slater had been reviewing Netflix's bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal estimated at $82.7 billion. CBS News reported she had lost the trust of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy AG Todd Blanche after clashing with them over her skepticism of large corporate mergers. Senator Elizabeth Warren called the removal "corruption," alleging that MAGA-aligned lobbyists were selling merger approvals.