Vance praises Biden-appointed FTC Chairwoman Khan for avoiding ‘ridiculous woke stuff’

KENOSHA, Wisconsin — Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) offered some qualified praise for Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Lina Khan, lauding her for targeting big tech companies and not using the agency to pursue a “woke” agenda.

Vance, who is cast in a more populist mold than Republicans of elections past, made the remarks on the tarmac near his campaign jet in Milwaukee after a campaign event in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday. The vice presidential contender has previously said Khan is “one of the few people in the Biden administration who I think is doing a pretty good job.”

Vance’s positioning is of note because top business allies of the GOP have expressed hope that a victory for Donald Trump in the presidential election would mean the removal of Khan.

In response to a question from the Washington Examiner, Vance said that there are things she has done that he likes and things that he has disliked.

“I think on the things I like, is I think she’s justifiably worried about some of the big technology companies and the concentration of power,” Vance said, adding that he thinks sometimes she gets a little too aggressive with smaller companies and hinders capital formation.

Khan, 35, is the leader of what is known as the “hipster antitrust” movement, a school of thought that ditches the consumer welfare standard that guided U.S. antitrust policy for decades in favor of a much more adversarial approach to corporations that also considers other factors, such as corporate concentration and income inequality.

Federal agencies in the Biden administration have come under fire from Republicans for pursuing so-called “woke” policies and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, policies. He said he likes how the FTC has avoided that under her stewardship.  

“So look, she’s not perfect, but the thing I really like about Lena is she doesn’t focus on the ridiculous woke stuff,” Vance said. “She recognizes that her job, agree or disagree, is to actually work at the FTC and not to be like a ridiculous diversity enforcer. I do appreciate that.”

Vance traveled from his home state of Ohio to Wisconsin on Tuesday to attend an event focused on crime and safety where he received the endorsement of the Kenosha Professional Police Association.