President Donald Trump announced Monday that he intends to nominate E.J. Antoni, chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, as the next commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In a Truth Social post, Trump said Antoni would ensure employment and economic data are \u201chonest and accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The move comes just over a week after Trump abruptly fired former BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, hours after the release of a weaker-than-expected July jobs report. Trump claimed, without providing evidence, that the report had been \u201crigged\u201d to hurt him and the Republican Party. McEntarfer\u2019s dismissal sparked concern among economists about political interference in the nation\u2019s official labor data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Antoni, a contributor to the Project 2025 policy framework, has long expressed skepticism about BLS statistics. On Steve Bannon\u2019s podcast shortly before McEntarfer\u2019s removal, Antoni called for her ouster. As Heritage Foundation\u2019s chief economist, he has frequently praised the Trump administration\u2019s economic record, calling June\u2019s pre-revision jobs report a \u201chome run\u201d for the president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Supporters, such as Rachel Bovard of the Conservative Partnership Institute, describe Antoni as \u201cwhip smart\u201d and committed to reforming BLS data practices. Critics, including former Obama adviser Jason Furman, argue Antoni is \u201ccompletely unqualified\u201d and too partisan for a role historically filled by nonpartisan technocrats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Economists warn that politicizing the BLS could undermine trust in U.S. economic indicators, which are considered a global gold standard. Former commissioners noted that the BLS head does not compile job reports but is briefed on them shortly before release. They stressed that revisions to job, GDP, and inflation data are routine and reflect the scale and complexity of economic measurement, not manipulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The July report showed the economy adding just 73,000 jobs, with downward revisions to May and June totaling over 200,000 positions. The BLS said slower-than-expected data collection was to blame for the adjustments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Past BLS commissioners have often served across political administrations, maintaining continuity and credibility. William Beach, nominated by Trump in 2019, served until 2023, and Keith Hall, appointed by George W. Bush, continued under Barack Obama until 2012. McEntarfer, nominated by President Biden and confirmed with bipartisan Senate support in January 2024, had been in the role for just seven months before her removal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If confirmed, Antoni would take charge of an agency whose data informs critical policy decisions, financial markets, and global economic assessments, at a time when confidence in statistical independence faces mounting political pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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