Presidential candidate Cory Booker characterized his colleague and 2020 opponent Elizabeth Warren’s proposals to break up tech giants as “a Donald Trump thing to say" and called for a “president that's going to enforce antitrust laws.” “I don’t think that a president should be running around pointing at companies and saying ‘breaking them up’ without any kind of process,” Booker, D-N.J., said in an interview Saturday on ABC News’ “This Week.” Booker said that he believes instead of calling for companies like Facebook, Amazon and Google to be broken up, there should be a process to address corporate consolidation, declaring it a “massive problem in America.” "It's about making sure that we have a system that works,” said Booker. “It’s not me and my own personal opinion about going after folks. That sounds more like a Donald Trump thing to say, like, 'I'm going to break up you guys, I’m gonna break' — no." When asked by ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl if he “just compared Elizabeth Warren to Donald Trump,” Booker said, “I most certainly did not,” referring to the senator as “my friend.” “Let her discuss and debate her positions,” Booker said. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks during a Cincinnati campaign stop on May 11. (Photo: AP/John Minchillo) In March, Warren, D-Mass., advocated for the breakup of big tech, a proposal that largely centers around promoting competitive markets with actions like “reversing illegal and anti-competitive tech mergers,” including Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods and Zappos and Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp and Instagram. She argued that "to restore the balance of power in our democracy, to promote competition and to ensure that the next generation of technology innovation is as vibrant as the last, it’s time to break up our biggest tech companies.” Last week, Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes’s New York Times op-ed also argued in favor of dismantling the social media giant, which he called “a powerful monopoly, eclipsing all of its rivals and erasing competition from the social networking category.” Story continues “We are a nation with a tradition of reining in monopolies, no matter how well-intentioned the leaders of these companies may be,” wrote Hughes. “Mark’s power is unprecedented and un-American.” Newark's then-Mayor Cory Booker, left, and Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, talk about Zuckerberg's donation of $100 million to help Newark public schools on Sept. 25, 2010. (Photo: AP/Rich Schultz) “Because Facebook so dominates social networking, it faces no market-based accountability,” he continued. “This means that every time Facebook messes up, we repeat an exhausting pattern: first outrage, then disappointment and, finally, resignation.” Last year Trump accused Google search results of being “rigged” against him and conservative news outlets. He also told reporters in an Oval Office press meeting that Google, Facebook and Twitter were “treading on very, very troubled territory” and advised that they “better be careful.” Booker said that if elected he would “have a Justice Department that uses antitrust legislation to do the proper investigations and to hold industries accountable for corporate consolidation." “I don’t care if it's Facebook, the pharma industry, even the agricultural industry,” he said. “We've had a problem in America with corporate consolidation that is having really ill effects.” “It's driving out the independent family farmers,” Booker continued. “It’s driving up prescription drug costs. And in the realm of technology, we're seeing one or two companies controlling a significant amount of the online advertising." But Booker made clear his stance on breaking up these companies: “We do not need a president that is going to use their own personal beliefs and tell you which companies we should break up. We need a president that's going to enforce antitrust laws in this country, and I will be that person." _____ Read more from Yahoo News:<doc-sep>2020 presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said he doesn’t agree with Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) call to break up large technology companies like Facebook or Google, saying “that sounds more like a Donald Trump thing to say.” Booker was speaking with ABC’s Jonathan Karl for This Week, and Karl seemed surprised by the comment: saying “you just compared Elizabeth Warren to Donald Trump.” Booker laughed and said “I most certainly did not, she is my friend.” “Let her discuss and debate her position,” Booker continued. “I am telling you right now we do not need a president that is going to use their own personal beliefs and tell you which companies we should break up.” Karl’s questioning comes as Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes calls for the company he helped create with current CEO Mark Zuckerberg to be better regulated or broken up entirely. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) faced similar questioning on the subject of Facebook from CNN’s Jake Tapper. Harris called for increased oversight and regulation of Facebook, saying the company “is essentially a utility that has gone unregulated.” Booker argues corporate consolidation overall in America is impacting society negatively and should be looked at and investigated. “If I’m president of the United States, I’ll have a Justice Department that uses anti-trust legislation to do the proper investigations and to hold industries accountable for corporate consolidation,” Booker said. Watch the clip above, courtesy of ABC News. Have a tip we should know? [email protected]<doc-sep>Sen. Cory Booker Cory BookerBiden, Bass press for police reform after meeting Floyd family Bipartisan group of lawmakers reintroduces bill to give inmates Medicaid access Bass: 'Essential' for police reform bill to address qualified immunity MORE said fellow presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenOn The Money: Biden administration launches trade dispute against Canadian dairy industry | Warren urges Biden to replace Fed's Quarles Warren urges Biden to replace Fed's Quarles in testy exchange Warren offers bill to increase IRS budget to .5 billion MORE's (D-Mass) proposals to break up major tech companies like Facebook "sounds like a Donald Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE thing to say." “I don’t think that a president should be running around pointing at companies and saying ‘breaking them up’ without any kind of process,” he said in a clip of an interview he did with ABC News that was posted online Saturday. "It’s not me and my own personal opinion about going after folks. That sounds more like a Donald Trump thing to say like ‘I’m going to break up you guys,’” he added. ADVERTISEMENT When ABC's Jonathan Karl asked if Booker “just compared Elizabeth Warren to Donald Trump” Booker denied doing so. “I most certainly did not. She is my friend,” he said. “We do not need a president that is going to use their own personal beliefs and tell you which companies we should break up," he added. "We need a president that’s going to enforce anti-trust laws in this country, and I will be that person.” He also noted in the interview that he believes corporate consolidation is "absolutely" a big problem. The Hill has reached out to Warren's campaign for comment. After Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes called for the social media company to be broken up, Sen. Cory Booker tells @ABC’s @jonkarl antitrust laws need to be enforced: “We’ve had a problem in America with corporate consolidation” See more on @ThisWeekABC: https://t.co/TBnCDD3UkN pic.twitter.com/GbNKjFcBzl — ABC News (@ABC) May 11, 2019 Warren has called for the breakup of major corporations including Facebook, Amazon and Google. "To restore the balance of power in our democracy, to promote competition, and to ensure that the next generation of technology innovation is as vibrant as the last, it’s time to break up our biggest tech companies," she wrote in a Medium post. Facebook's co-founder Chris Hughes this week also advocated for the company's breakup in a New York Times op-ed. Warren and Booker are among more than 20 people competing for the Democratic Party's 2020 presidential nomination.<doc-sep>
Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” 2020 presidential hopeful Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said Democratic presidential opponent Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) call break up large technology companies sounds “more like a Donald Trump thing to say.” Partial transcript as follows: KARL: So, I want to ask, Chris Hughes who helped co-found Facebook has now come out to say that it should be broken up. He says that it is unprecedented and un-American to have this much power in one company. Where do you stand on breaking up Facebook? BOOKER: I don’t care if it’s Facebook, the pharma industry, even the agricultural industry. We’ve had a problem in America with corporate consolidation, that is having really ill effects. And we should have – if I’m president of the United States, I will have a Justice Department that uses antitrust legislation to do the proper investigations and to hold industries accountable for corporate consolidation. KARL: So, Elizabeth Warren’s already out there saying break up Facebook, break up Google … BOOKER: But I — I don’t think that … KARL: Break up Amazon. BOOKER: Right, but I don’t think that a president should be running around, pointing at companies and saying breaking them up without any kind of process here. It’s not me and my own personal opinion about going after folks. That sounds more like a Donald Trump thing to say, I’m going to break up you guys, I’m going to break – no. We need to create systems and processes that work … KARL: You just compared Elizabeth Warren to Donald Trump, that’s … BOOKER: I – I – I most certainly did not, she is my friend. KARL: Well, that’s what she’s saying. She’s the one that’s saying that. BOOKER: Well again, she has – let her discuss and debate her positions. I’m telling you right now, we do not need a president that is going to use their own personal beliefs and tell you which companies we should break up. We need a president that’s going to enforce antitrust laws in this country, and I will be that person.