White House Withdraws E.J. Antoni's Nomination to Lead Bureau of Labor Statistics

The White House has withdrawn the nomination of E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), according to a White House official. The official did not provide a reason for the withdrawal but described Antoni as a "brilliant economist" and indicated that President Donald Trump plans to announce a new nominee soon.

Antoni, currently the chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, was nominated in August following the dismissal of former BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. McEntarfer was fired by President Trump after the release of a July jobs report that showed weaker-than-expected job growth, which the president criticized as "rigged."

Antoni's nomination faced criticism from both liberal and conservative economists due to his partisan views and lack of experience. Additionally, a social media account linked to Antoni reportedly contained controversial posts, including sexually degrading remarks about Kamala Harris and derogatory comments about LGBTQ individuals.

The Senate committee overseeing the Labor Department had not scheduled a confirmation hearing for Antoni, and several Republican senators, including Lisa Murkowski, expressed concerns about his nomination.

The BLS, an independent agency within the Department of Labor, produces key economic data such as the monthly jobs report and consumer price index. Economists have raised concerns that politicizing the BLS could undermine the reliability of U.S. economic data.

The White House also withdrew the nomination of Brian Quintenz to head the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. A White House official stated that Quintenz remains a trusted ally and that a new nominee will be announced soon.