Trump Nominates FCC Lawyer Adam Candeub to Head Antitrust Division at Justice
Candeub, nominated July 21, requires Senate confirmation.
WASHINGTON, July 23, 2026 – President Donald Trump nominated Adam Candeub, general counsel at the Federal Communications Commission, to lead the antitrust division at the Department of Justice.
In June, it was reported that Trump was planning to nominate FCC general counsel. The president formally nominated Candeub for Assistant Attorney General along with several other appointments on July 21. The nomination is being sent to the Senate for approval.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr congratulated Candeub on his appointment, noting the appointee’s long and distinguished career in public service. Candeub became FCC General Counsel in January 2025.
“At the FCC, Candeub has always brought a thoughtful and sensible approach to matters that draws on his deep experience in academia and the relevant scholarly literature,” Carr said in a July 21 statement. “With the advice and consent of the Senate, Candeub would do a wonderful job at the DOJ advancing common sense policies.”
Candeub is a law professor at Michigan State University and an author of the Heritage Foundation’s conservative policy roadmap Project 2025, writing that big tech companies impede free speech online. He served during the first Trump administration as a deputy assistant secretary of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Candeub is also an outspoken critic of Section 230, a law that shields internet companies from being sued for content on platforms by internet users.
If confirmed by the Senate, Candeub would become the head of the antitrust division, replacing Gail Slater. Slater stepped down in February after heading the department for about a year.
The antitrust division has seen several prominent cases this year, including the settlement of the Live Nation Entertainment case earlier this year. The department approved the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger in March.
In March, the FCC and Antitrust Division approved TV broadcaster Nexstar Media Group’s $6.2 billion acquisition of TEGNA Inc. A federal judge blocked the merger in April until antitrust lawsuits filed by DIRECTV and eight state attorney generals are resolved.
