Trump Just Killed Biden’s Landmark Competition Order — Here’s What It Means for Your Wallet

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump on Wednesday revoked President Biden's 2021 executive order aimed at boosting competition across the U.S. economy, marking a sharp turn in federal antitrust strategy.

The original directive, Executive Order 14036 — signed July 9, 2021 — called for a “whole-of-government effort to promote competition” and laid out 72 specific initiatives for more than a dozen agencies. These included curbing non-compete clauses, expanding over-the-counter hearing aid sales, and restoring net neutrality rules. Reuters noted that the order also created a White House Competition Council, chaired by then-National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard, to coordinate agency actions.

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In his August 13 proclamation , Mr. Trump stated: “Executive Order 14036 … is hereby revoked.” The new order stressed that the revocation does not limit existing agency authorities and does not create enforceable rights. The White House confirmed the move in a brief statement, saying it reflected the administration’s desire to “streamline” economic policy.

The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division welcomed the change. In a statement reported by UPI , Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater said the administration is pivoting toward an “America First Antitrust” approach, which she described as focused on “empowering the American people in the free markets” while reducing “regulatory burdens on free competition.” She also highlighted recent steps, such as reinstating early terminations for certain merger reviews under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, as signs of a more targeted enforcement strategy.

Critics warned the revocation could roll back gains for consumers and small businesses. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, told reporters the decision was “a step backward for consumers, entrepreneurs, workers, and family farmers” and would “lead to higher prices, fewer choices, and less innovation.” She pledged to continue pushing for legislative reforms to strengthen competition policy.

Hannah Garden-Monheit, who served as director of competition policy in the Biden White House, told Reuters the move undermines protections for Main Street. “This shows President Trump’s claim he would ‘Make America Competitive Again’ was a sham,” she said. “Instead of enforcing the competition laws, he’s throwing Main Street businesses and workers under the bus while doing favors for the rich and powerful.”

Executive Order 14036 had been one of Mr. Biden’s signature domestic economic policies, drawing praise from progressive economists and antitrust advocates for its ambition. While some of its directives led to tangible policy changes—such as Federal Trade Commission rules on repair restrictions and Transportation Department proposals to curb airline fees—many initiatives remained in progress and could now stall without White House backing.

With the revocation, the Trump administration is signaling a return to a more traditional, less interventionist antitrust policy. Supporters argue this approach will cut red tape and encourage innovation by allowing markets to operate with fewer constraints. Opponents counter that without active government oversight, dominant players in sectors like technology, agriculture, and healthcare could further entrench their power.

The longer-term impact will depend on how aggressively agencies pursue antitrust enforcement absent the overarching competition framework. As Reuters reported, much of EO 14036’s agenda is not embedded in statute, meaning it can be halted or reversed by executive action—as has now happened.

For now, the revocation underscores the deep philosophical divide between the two administrations on the role of government in shaping markets—a debate likely to remain at the center of U.S. economic policy in the years ahead.