Overview

• The Senate received formal paperwork Tuesday withdrawing Antoni’s nomination, and the White House said a new nominee will be named soon.
• Reporting about a deleted social media account with derogatory posts and Antoni’s presence near the Capitol on Jan. 6 fueled doubts about his suitability.
• His confirmation prospects dimmed as Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski signaled reluctance, and the Senate HELP Committee never scheduled a hearing.
• Antoni had criticized BLS methodology and suggested pausing monthly jobs reports in favor of quarterly releases, prompting warnings about politicizing the agency’s work.
• The nomination followed President Trump’s firing of BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer after a weak July jobs report and steep downward revisions, heightening scrutiny of the agency’s independence.