Trump nominates BLS critic E.J. Antoni after firing previous commissioner
President Donald Trump has nominated economist Dr. E.J. Antoni, a senior figure at the conservative Heritage Foundation, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) following the dismissal of former commissioner Erika McEntarfer earlier this month.
McEntarfer was removed after the July jobs report showed private employers added just 73,000 positions—well below projections—prompting Trump to accuse her of using “phony” numbers. The administration claims the BLS has become unreliable, though former officials stress that revisions to jobs data are standard and the commissioner plays no role in data collection, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Antoni, a contributor to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, has been a vocal critic of the bureau’s methodology. He has pledged to “rebuild trust” in the agency’s statistics if confirmed by the Senate. His nomination reportedly had the backing of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon.
The BLS, part of the Labor Department, produces economic data that influences investment, pensions, and tax policy. Economists warn that politicizing the agency’s work could undermine the integrity of U.S. economic indicators.
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