Democrats who were historically cautious about Khan have shifted to seek her input and leverage her approach to curb rising costs, curb corporate power, and improve affordability.

Her ongoing work at Columbia Law School and influence through staff selections and advisory roles indicate a sustained effort to train a new generation of antitrust lawyers and extend influence beyond any single administration.

Her record includes actions against drug pricing, online subscription practices, Amazon fees, and blocking Kroger’s merger with Albertsons, signaling an aggressive enforcement strategy to lower costs.

Khan champions policy grounded in long-standing laws, applying them to modern tech and monopolistic practices, pairing affordability with accountability to challenge entrenched interests.

As FTC chair, she has emerged as a central figure for Democrats considering 2028 presidential contenders who want to remake economic policy through aggressive antitrust and consumer-protection actions.

Some figures, such as Josh Gottheimer, Wes Moore, and Rahm Emanuel, push back on Khan-style reforms due to political and donor concerns about risks to business and policy.

Khan stresses that affordability must be paired with accountability, posing the question of who will challenge powerful interests when prices are driven down and addressing the associated political credibility challenge.

Her influence extends beyond the FTC, advising politicians and city leaders (including New York City figures like Zohran Mamdani) and serving as a potential template for a future Democratic administration’s economic agenda.

Prominent Democrats and allies publicly support or discuss integrating Khan’s methods into campaign platforms, signaling a shift toward a more aggressive use of regulatory powers in Democratic messaging.

Khan envisions a pragmatic, tool-based governance approach grounded in legal authority, aiming to translate regulatory potential into real affordability gains for working Americans.