Key takeaways
- President Donald Trump said on social media that he will nominate E. J. Antoni as new commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- If confirmed, Antoni would replace Erika McEntarfer, who was fired by Trump earlier this month, lying that she “rigged” the Jobs Report numbers.
- Antoni served as the chief economist at The Heritage Foundation, the author of Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he nominated economist E. J. Antoni as commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Trump said in a Truth Social post that “E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE.”
“I am pleased to announce that I am nominating Highly Respected Economist, Dr. E.J. Antoni, as the next Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics,” Trump wrote.
“Our Economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE,” he continued. “I know E.J. Antoni will do an incredible job in this new role. Congratulations E.J.!”
If confirmed, Antoni would replace Erika McEntarfer, who was fired by Trump just hours after a weaker-than-expected jobs report on August 1. Trump said, without evidence, that the jobs report for July was “RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad.”
Antoni served as the chief economist at The Heritage Foundation and was a contributor to the Project 2025 policy rubric.
One of his recent reports said that the June jobs report, before it was revised, was a “home run” for Trump.
Steve Bannon, who served as a senior adviser to Trump in his first term, was pushing hard for Antoni. On Bannon’s podcast last week, Antoni called for McEntarfer to be fired shortly before Trump made it official.
Former President Joe Biden nominated McEntarfer in July 2023. She was confirmed by the Senate in a 86-8 vote in January 2024. Then-Senator JD Vance voted for her to be confirmed.
