The late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was well known for his sarcastic sense of humor. That trait appears to have been passed on to his son, who recently slapped down a senator's argument. 

The spat started when Politico reported that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a merger deal earlier this year involving fast food chains Subway,  Jimmy John’s and Arby’s.

Sandwich investigation "in the early stages"

Under the agreement, those restaurants will belong to the private equity firm Roark Capital, which already owns McAlister’s Deli and Schlotzky’s.

This $10 billion deal has led to concerns that Roark Capital will have a monopolistic level of control over the sandwich industry.

Politico noted that the FTC's investigation "is in the early stages" and its finding will not be made public for some months.

The enquiry could result in government regulators suing to block the deal or reach an agreement with the companies involved.

Christopher Scalia mocks Elizabeth Warren

News of the investigation was welcomed by Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who praised it in a post on the social media platform previously known as Twitter.

We don't need another private equity deal that could lead to higher food prices for consumers. The @FTC is right to investigate whether the purchase of @SUBWAY by the same firm that owns @jimmyjohns and @McAlistersDeli creates a sandwich shop monopoly. https://t.co/mAFuuFYA5A

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) November 26, 2023

Her words caught the attention of Christopher Scalia, who serves as a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He jokingly wrote, "If you give Big Sandwich an inch, it takes a footlong."

If you give Big Sandwich an inch, it takes a footlong.✊ https://t.co/j9hMeFew7x

— Christopher J. Scalia (@cjscalia) November 26, 2023

Warren slammed Justice Scalia a year after his death

This is not the first time that tension has existed between Warren and the Scalia family, as in 2017 she accused the late justice of being in the pocket of wealthy interests.

"When Justice Antonin Scalia died, giant corporations and their right-wing buddies spent millions of dollars to keep the Supreme Court seat open so Donald Trump could appoint a replacement," Warren wrote in a Facebook post.

"Judge Neil Gorsuch has a long, detailed record that shows he cares more about corporations than women, workers, consumers, and families in Massachusetts and across the country," she alleged.

"This morning I joined NARAL and 16 other People's Defense organizations on the steps of the Supreme Court to kick off their delivery of a million petition signatures – calling on senators to fight back against corporate control of the Court and oppose Judge Gorsuch," the lawmaker went on to add.