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President Donald Trump on Monday nominated E.J. Antoni, chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agency that compiles and releases the nation’s key employment and inflation data.
“Our economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE,” Trump wrote on social media late Monday.
If confirmed by the Senate, Antoni would replace Erika McEntarfer, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden in 2023 and fired by Trump on Aug. 1. McEntarfer’s ouster came hours after the release of the July jobs report, which showed slower hiring this spring and significant downward revisions to job growth estimates in May and June. Trump accused her — without offering evidence — of manipulating the data for political purposes.
Background on the Nomination
The nomination comes just one day before the BLS is scheduled to release its July inflation data, expected to show prices rising for a third straight month, driven in part by tariffs on imported goods. The BLS commissioner role is the only political appointment at the agency, with the rest of the staff made up of career civil servants.
Antoni, a frequent critic of the BLS’s methodology, has argued that repeated downward revisions to job numbers since the COVID-19 pandemic have undermined public trust and potentially benefited Democrats politically. “Only consistent delivery of accurate data in a timely manner will rebuild the trust that has been lost over the last several years,” Antoni wrote on X last week.
Support and Opposition
Antoni’s nomination has already drawn sharp reactions from economists across the political spectrum — including from fellow conservatives. Jason Furman, who served as a top economic adviser in the Obama administration, wrote on X, “E.J. Antoni is completely unqualified to be BLS Commissioner. He is an extreme partisan and does not have any relevant expertise.”
Kyle Pomerleau, a tax expert with the right-leaning Tax Foundation and American Enterprise Institute, also criticized the choice: “There are a lot of competent conservative economists that could do this job. E.J. is not one of them.”
Trump allies have praised Antoni’s outspoken defense of the administration’s economic policies, including his claim in a May jobs report analysis that “weakness started long before the Trump administration, which is making undeniable progress reprivatizing the economy.”
Broader Context
Revisions to employment data are common and occurred under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Economists note that while recent downward adjustments have been notable, overall hiring remained strong after the pandemic, and the unemployment rate stayed low.
What’s Next
The Senate must confirm Antoni’s appointment before he can assume the post. The confirmation process could prove contentious, given the criticism over his partisan record and limited experience in statistical administration. In the meantime, the BLS continues to operate under acting leadership.
