White House withdraws E.J. Antoni nomination to lead Bureau of Labor Statistics
The White House is withdrawing the nomination of E. J. Antoni to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a White House official confirmed to CBS News. The official did not provide a reason for the withdrawal on Tuesday but described Antoni as a “brilliant economist.” The official also stated that President Trump would announce a new nominee in the near future.
CNN was the first to report that the nomination had been withdrawn.
Antoni was nominated for the role by President Trump in August, following the firing of former BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer earlier that month. McEntarfer’s dismissal came after a weaker-than-expected jobs report, which President Trump blamed on her.
At the time, President Trump described the July jobs report—which showed employers added 73,000 jobs, falling below predictions—as “a shock.” He also called a sizeable revision showing 258,000 fewer jobs created in May and June than previously reported a “major mistake.”
However, Mr. Trump did not provide evidence for his claims. The BLS frequently revises its reports because not all respondents reply to BLS surveys immediately. When additional businesses submit data after the monthly report is released, revisions can occur in both directions.
On the same day his nomination was announced, Antoni gave an interview in which he noted that he is a fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank and holds a doctorate in economics from Northern Illinois University.
Antoni has defended President Trump’s economic policies in the past and has been critical of the BLS on multiple occasions before his nomination. Last year, he called the BLS’ health insurance figures “phoney baloney” and posted on social media that “the ‘L’ is silent” in BLS’ name.
In a November post on X, Antoni wrote, “DOGE needs to take a chainsaw to the BLS.” He also stated, “There are better ways to collect, process, and disseminate data—that is the task for the next BLS commissioner, and only consistent delivery of accurate data in a timely manner will rebuild the trust that has been lost over the last several years.”
These comments came shortly after President Trump fired the former BLS chief.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ej-antoni-bureau-of-labor-statistics-nomination-withdrawn/
