President Donald Trump has nominated E.J. Antoni, a conservative economist from the Heritage Foundation, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) following the controversial firing of the previous commissioner, Erika McEntarfer. The announcement comes after a disappointing July jobs report, which Trump claimed was manipulated for political purposes.
In a Truth Social post, Trump praised Antoni, stating, “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.”
Antoni, previously affiliated with the Texas Public Policy Foundation, has been a vocal critic of the BLS, particularly its data collection methods. During an August 1 appearance on Steve Bannon’s podcast, Antoni called McEntarfer “incompetent” and criticized the BLS’s July report, which showed the U.S. added only 73,000 jobs and included significant downward revisions for May and June employment numbers.
Trump fired McEntarfer, a Biden appointee confirmed by the Senate in January 2024, allegedly accusing her without evidence of rigging jobs data to undermine Republican success, a medium to boost Kamala Harris’s chances of winning. The move sparked widespread concern among economists about the integrity of the BLS, a nonpartisan agency whose data influences critical economic decisions, including Social Security payments and corporate hiring plans.
William Beach, a former BLS commissioner appointed by Trump during his first term, condemned McEntarfer’s firing, calling it “damaging” and warning it could lead to suspicions of political influence in future reports. “I don’t think there’s any grounds at all for this firing, and it really hurts the statistical system,” Beach said on CNN.
He noted that initial BLS jobs reports, while subject to revisions due to survey-based data collection, are more accurate today than they were decades ago.
Antoni’s nomination, which requires Senate confirmation, follows his public criticisms of BLS methodologies, including a blog post where he labeled a Consumer Price Index change an “Orwellian trick” to downplay inflation. The BLS has faced additional scrutiny due to recent budget cuts and layoffs under the Trump administration, which led to suspended data collection in three cities and a 15% reduction in nationwide data gathering.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell emphasized the importance of reliable government data, calling it “the gold standard” during a July discussion on the cuts. Economists warn that further disruptions could undermine confidence in the BLS’s ability to provide accurate economic indicators.
The July jobs report, which revised May and June payroll gains downward by 258,000, highlighted a slowing economy, with May’s additions at 19,000 and June’s at 14,000—the weakest since the COVID-19 recession recovery in December 2020. Despite this, Trump claimed the economy is “booming” in his announcement of Antoni’s nomination.
Antoni’s appointment will be closely watched as the BLS navigates ongoing challenges to its credibility and operational capacity.
