Trump’s Evolving Stance on Google and Antitrust Measures
Former President Donald J. Trump, who previously led a legal battle against Google for alleged violations of antitrust laws, has recently suggested that he may not pursue a breakup of the tech giant if he were to reclaim the presidency. During an event with Bloomberg News at a gathering of the Economic Club of Chicago, he characterized Google as a vital asset in countering China’s technological ambitions.
“China is afraid of Google,” Mr. Trump asserted, emphasizing the geopolitical importance of maintaining strong American tech companies. He expressed concerns that a corporate split could potentially “destroy the company,” even though he admitted he was not particularly fond of Google. “What you can do without breaking it up is make sure it’s more fair,” he remarked, suggesting a more nuanced approach to handling the tech giant.
This statement marks a notable shift in Mr. Trump’s perspective on antitrust action against Google, the operator of the world’s leading search engine. Just a month prior, he had expressed intentions to prosecute Google for allegedly displaying “bad stories” about him.
A significant development occurred in August when a federal judge ruled that Google had illegally maintained a monopoly in the search market. Following this, the Justice Department indicated last week that it was contemplating a proposal to the judge advocating for the breakup of Google as a form of punishment.
In response to Mr. Trump’s remarks, Google declined to provide a comment. The company has consistently argued that a breakup could undermine American interests, particularly in the context of escalating competition with China in sectors like artificial intelligence. This sentiment was echoed by Mr. Trump during his recent address. “It’s a very dangerous thing, because we want to have great companies,” he stated, adding, “We don’t want China to have these companies.”
The antitrust investigation into Google initiated under Mr. Trump’s administration back in 2019. In a decisive move in 2020, shortly before the presidential election, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that it had unlawfully maintained its monopoly in the online search sector by compensating firms such as Apple and Samsung to secure its status as the default search engine on their devices.
Although Mr. Trump did not elaborate on his strategy regarding Google, he did express frustration about the company’s search engine, which he described as “rigged” for only showcasing negative stories about him. He felt compelled to take action, stating, “I called the head of Google the other day and I said, ‘I’m getting a lot of good stories lately, but you don’t find them in Google.’” He characterized the situation as “a whole rigged deal,” drawing parallels between Google and what he perceives as systemic rigging within the government.
Mr. Trump recounted his conversation with Sundar Pichai, Google’s chief executive, who reportedly told him, “You’re the No. 1 person on all of Google for stories.” Mr. Trump reflected on this, saying, “Most of them are bad stories,” and lightheartedly added, “but these are minor details, right?”