President Donald Trump has nominated EJ Antoni, chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — just weeks after abruptly firing the agency’s previous leader over a jobs report he claimed was “rigged.”
Trump announced the pick on Truth Social Monday, writing:
“Our Economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE. I know E.J. Antoni will do an incredible job in this new role. Congratulations E.J.!”
The move comes after Trump dismissed BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer earlier this month, accusing her — without evidence — of releasing weak May and June job growth figures to damage his administration. The report showed slower growth than earlier estimates, sparking Trump’s fury and raising fresh concerns about political interference in federal statistics.
Antoni, who publicly called for McEntarfer’s removal before her firing, has been a vocal Trump supporter. Last month, he hailed Trump’s trade deal with Japan as “darn close” to perfect and called Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent “artistic masters.”
Just last week, Antoni posted on social media that the BLS needed “better ways to collect, process, and disseminate” data, stressing the importance of “accurate data in a timely manner” to restore trust in the agency.
Critics were quick to question the choice. Jason Furman, a Harvard economist and former adviser to President Barack Obama, blasted Antoni as “completely unqualified.”
“He is an extreme partisan and does not have any relevant expertise. He would be a break from decades of nonpartisan technocrats,” Furman said on X.
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