In a move that has sent ripples through Washington and the broader economic community, President Donald Trump announced on August 11, 2025, his intention to nominate Dr. E.J. Antoni, a prominent economist at the Heritage Foundation, as the next Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This decision follows the abrupt firing of Dr. Erika McEntarfer, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden and served as BLS commissioner since January 2024. The shake-up comes amid heated debate over the integrity of government economic data, particularly after the release of a July jobs report that fell well short of expectations and triggered historic downward revisions to previous employment figures.
Trump’s announcement, made on his social media platform Truth Social, was characteristically emphatic. "Our Economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE," he declared, vowing a new era of transparency at the BLS. The president’s words echoed his ongoing criticism of the agency’s recent data releases, which he has accused—without evidence—of being manipulated to favor his political opponents. In his own words, Trump alleged that BLS data had been "RIGGED" and that McEntarfer had "faked the Jobs Numbers before the Election to try and boost Kamala's chances of Victory," a claim that has drawn widespread rebuke from economists across the spectrum, according to BBC News and Axios.
The controversy centers on the July 2025 jobs report, which showed a meager gain of just 73,000 jobs—far below forecasts. More troubling to the White House was the BLS’s revision of job gains in May and June, which were adjusted downward by a staggering 258,000 positions. Trump seized on these figures, suggesting they were part of a pattern of politically motivated data manipulation. Yet, as Axios and the Associated Press have reported, there is no evidence to support claims of intentional rigging. Economists note that such revisions, while unusually large, are not unprecedented; they often result from seasonal adjustments and the incorporation of more complete survey responses, rather than any nefarious intent.
Amid the uproar, McEntarfer was dismissed just hours after the July report’s release. The BLS is now temporarily led by Acting Commissioner William Watrowski, a career civil servant with decades of experience at the agency. The move to fire McEntarfer has been described by William Beach, Trump’s own former BLS chief, as setting a "dangerous precedent." A group of former BLS leaders issued a joint statement warning that the firing "undermines the valuable work and dedication of BLS staff" and "escalates the President's unprecedented attacks on the independence and integrity of the federal statistical system." Calls for Congressional investigation have followed, reflecting deep unease about the politicization of a traditionally nonpartisan institution.
Into this charged atmosphere steps E.J. Antoni, a figure whose nomination is both celebrated and criticized. Antoni, who earned his Ph.D. from Northern Illinois University in 2020, is the chief economist at the Heritage Foundation’s Hermann Center for the Federal Budget and has also worked at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. He is no stranger to controversy, having previously called BLS statistics "phoney baloney" and joked that "the 'L' is silent" in the agency’s name. In a November X (formerly Twitter) post, Antoni argued, "DOGE needs to take a chainsaw to the BLS... 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."
Antoni’s nomination has the enthusiastic backing of influential Trump ally Steve Bannon, who described him as "the guy that almost single-handedly took it down by going through their numbers." Bannon’s support underscores the political stakes of the appointment, with many conservatives seeing Antoni as a champion for overhauling what they view as a flawed system. Antoni himself has been a vocal critic of BLS methodology, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, when the agency’s initial job estimates have often been revised lower in subsequent months. He has argued that such practices erode public trust and has called for new approaches to data collection and reporting.
However, Antoni’s nomination has also drawn sharp criticism from across the economic and political spectrum. Jason Furman, a former top economist in the Obama administration, did not mince words: "I don’t think I have ever publicly criticized any Presidential nominee before. But E.J. Antoni is completely unqualified to be BLS Commissioner. He is an extreme partisan and does not have any relevant expertise." Kyle Pomeleau, a tax expert at the right-leaning Tax Foundation and the conservative American Enterprise Institute, echoed these concerns: "There are a lot of competent conservative economists that could do this job. E.J. is not one of them." According to reporting from the Associated Press, even some Republicans in Congress had previously expressed concerns about McEntarfer’s job performance—though none publicly called for her resignation prior to Trump’s decision.
The BLS commissioner is the only political appointee at the agency, which is otherwise staffed by career civil servants. Traditionally, commissioners have been technocrats focused on the integrity of economic data rather than partisan warriors. Antoni’s outspoken style and history of partisan commentary mark a sharp departure from this norm. As BBC News notes, the U.S. Senate—currently under Republican control—must still confirm Antoni’s appointment. The confirmation process is expected to be contentious, with Democrats and some moderate Republicans likely to press Antoni on his past statements and vision for the agency.
Meanwhile, the BLS faces ongoing scrutiny as it prepares to release new inflation data, with economists forecasting another rise in consumer prices, partly due to tariffs pushing up the cost of imported goods. The stakes are high: BLS data not only shapes public perceptions of the economy but also influences markets, policy decisions, and the political fortunes of those in power. As Council of Economic Advisers chair Stephen Miran told Axios, "There's been very little attempt to actually fix this problem and come up with creative solutions to make the data more reliable." National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, defending the president’s decision, said, "What we need is a fresh set of eyes over at the BLS... the president wants his own people there so that when we see the numbers they're more transparent and more reliable."
For now, the debate over the future of the BLS—and the broader question of how economic data should be collected, reported, and interpreted—shows no signs of abating. As the Senate prepares to weigh Antoni’s nomination, the independence of America’s statistical agencies and the trustworthiness of their data remain very much in the spotlight.
