On Tuesday, President Trump withdrew EJ Antoni’s nomination for a position at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, following the dismissal of the agency’s head amidst criticism regarding employment data.
In August, Trump had announced his intention to appoint Antoni, who served as the chief economist at the Conservative Heritage Foundation, to lead the Bureau.
Later that day, the Heritage Foundation confirmed that Antoni would be returning to his previous role at the think tank.
Heritage president Kevin Roberts remarked, “There’s no denying that BLS needs reforms, and @RealeLejantoni was the right guy for the job,” expressing support for Antoni’s ongoing commitment to reform, which he would continue to pursue in his role at Heritage.
A White House official characterized Antoni as an “American patriot” dedicated to serving the nation. They emphasized, “President Trump aims to address years of issues at BLS that have eroded public trust in crucial economic data,” adding that a new candidate will be announced soon.
Antoni had previously voiced doubts about the accuracy of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and had called for the termination of former commissioner Erica Mantelfer.
Earlier in August, Trump ordered Mantelfer’s dismissal, a Biden appointee who had been confirmed by a significant bipartisan majority in 2024. This decision followed disappointing employment figures for July and significant revisions to the May and June reports.
Concerns arose from both Democrats and economists about the potential for Antoni to politicize data or restrict access to it entirely. Notably, reports indicated that Antoni had previously managed social media accounts where he made controversial statements about gay individuals and Trump critics.
CNN, which first reported the withdrawal of Antoni’s nomination, suggested that this could complicate the path to confirmation, making it harder for him to gain support from Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.
