Trump Moves to Silence a New Target, Campaign to Coerce Advertisers Into Backing Conservative Media -

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/30/opinion/ftc-advertiser-media-boycott.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ak8.1kAA.g7GJsj1WatLh&smid=url-share

Opinion | Trump’s Campaign to Coerce Advertisers Into Backing Conservative Media -

Trump Moves to Silence a New Target
July 30, 2025


The Trump administration has been open about using its power to quash political opposition. So perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that the administration is trying to stop advertisers and brands from boycotting right-leaning businesses.

The latest maneuver comes from the Federal Trade Commission. Last month, it announced that it would approve the merger of two of the biggest ad agencies in the world only if the parties agree to an unusual condition: The merged company cannot refuse to place ads on websites for political reasons.

The move was a sharp break from its traditional practice. The F.T.C. is usually focused on such concerns as consumer protection and monopoly power; now it’s trying to dictate where businesses advertise their products.

While the move would theoretically affect platforms of any political persuasion, there’s little doubt that it is a thinly veiled attempt to prop up X.