Trump Nominates Conservative Economist E.J. Antoni as Controversial New Commissioner for Bureau of Labor Statistics

In a recent development, President Trump announced the nomination of Dr. E.J. Antoni as the new Commissioner for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This appointment follows the president’s dismissal of the previous commissioner, who was accused, without evidence, of manipulating jobs data.

The announcement was made via a post on Truth Social, where Trump expressed his pleasure at nominating Antoni as the next Commissioner of BLS. Antoni currently serves as the chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Notably, he has been critical of the BLS and its data collection methods in the past.

The nomination comes after the dismissal of Dr. Erika McEntarfer earlier this month, following the release of the BLS’s monthly jobs report for July which showed underwhelming figures, and revisions downwards on employment growth in May and June.

Trump alleged that McEntarfer, who took over as commissioner in 2023 following a bipartisan Senate confirmation vote after being appointed by former President Joe Biden, had manipulated the data for political purposes.

Last week, Trump posted on Truth Social, stating, “The latest jobs report was RIGGED… The big adjustments were made to mask and smooth out the politically fabricated numbers designed to make a great Republican success appear less impressive!”

McEntarfer’s dismissal has drawn criticism from economists who argue that it could potentially harm the bureau’s credibility. William Beach, a former BLS commissioner appointed by Trump, expressed his disapproval of the decision to terminate McEntarfer.

“I see no basis for this termination, and it undermines the statistical system,” Beach said on CNN earlier this month before Antoni’s appointment. “If they appoint a new commissioner and produce a poor report, people will suspect political influence. This is damaging.”

Established as a nonpartisan agency, the BLS’s data serves as a foundation for critical decisions across both public and private sectors. Its reports influence various aspects, from Social Security payments to corporate hiring and layoff plans, and shape how policymakers and businesses evaluate the health of the US economy.

Concerns over the accuracy of the bureau’s data have been raised even before McEntarfer’s dismissal, with some economists cautioning that budget cuts, layoffs, and hiring freezes initiated by the Trump administration could compromise its credibility.

Earlier this year, the BLS revealed it had temporarily halted data collection in three cities. In June, the agency reported a 15% reduction in data collected from the rest of the country.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was asked about these cuts earlier this year. He emphasized the importance of government data, stating, “We need it to be accurate and reliable.”