Overview

• President Trump nominated E. J. Antoni, the Heritage Foundation’s chief economist and a Project 2025 contributor, on August 11 to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, succeeding Erika McEntarfer after revisions cut roughly 258,000 jobs from May and June data.
• In an August 4 interview with Fox News Digital, Antoni argued that the BLS should suspend its monthly jobs report until data collection is “corrected,” favoring less timely quarterly releases.
• Economists across the political spectrum, former BLS commissioners and career statisticians have criticized Antoni’s partisanship and warned that his nomination itself could undermine trust in federal economic statistics.
• Experts note that federal law mandates monthly data publications and that career staff oversee data integrity, making immediate manipulation difficult even as long-term credibility remains at risk.
• Antoni’s confirmation will head to the Senate where support from a handful of Republican senators is uncertain, especially after footage emerged showing him on the Capitol grounds during the January 6, 2021, breach.