Trump picks conservative BLS critic to lead BLS

President Donald Trump holds up economic data charts

Antoni's nomination was 'met with reservations from economists'

(Image credit: Win McNamee / Getty Images)

What happened

President Donald Trump Monday said he will nominate E.J. Antoni, chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the independent federal agency that compiles closely watched jobs and inflation reports.

Who said what

"Our Economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE," Trump said on social media. Antoni, a contributor to "Project 2025," was a critic of the BLS during the 2024 presidential campaign, arguing that the data was out of step with how people felt about the economy. He called for McEntarfer's removal shortly before Trump fired her.

The BLS is widely "seen as the gold standard for information on prices, employment, productivity and more," The New York Times said. And "economists on both the left and right of the political spectrum" say it's "critical" that the commissioner be seen as "politically neutral." Antoni's nomination was "met with reservations from economists," Reuters said. It will "result in a surge in demand for private label data," said Joe Brusuelas, the chief economist at RSM US.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

What next?

Antoni must be confirmed by the Senate. A test of how Trump "might handle future releases of economic data" arrives today with the publication of the latest BLS monthly report on consumer prices, the Times said. The report is "expected to show an uptick in inflation partly because of the president's expanding trade war."

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.