Overview

• President Trump nominated E.J. Antoni on August 11 to replace Erika McEntarfer after a weak July jobs report and significant downward revisions to May and June figures.
• Antoni, Heritage Foundation chief economist, has publicly criticized BLS methodology, called for a top-to-bottom process review and suggested suspending monthly payroll reports until reliability improves.
• His selection, championed by Steve Bannon and tied to Project 2025, highlights the administration’s push for conservative leadership at a nonpartisan agency.
• Economists and former BLS officials warn that installing a vocal critic at the helm risks undermining the trust and credibility of key economic statistics used by markets and policymakers.
• Senators are preparing a confirmation hearing to assess Antoni’s qualifications, his data reform proposals and the potential impact of recent budget cuts and data-collection suspensions on the agency.