Trump nominated conservative economist E.J. Antoni as the new commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics

President Donald Trump on Monday nominated E.J. Antoni as the new commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which is the agency in charge of compiling and publishing all inflation and employment data, after firing the previous commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, after accusing her without evidence of manipulating figures. Trump made that decision shortly after the BLS released its monthly jobs report earlier this month, which showed lower-than-expected numbers in July and revised down job growth in May and June.

"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. Our Economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE. I know E.J. Antoni will do an incredible job in this new role. Congratulations E.J.!" stated Trump via a post on his Truth Social account.

A well-known conservative economist

Antoni, who is currently interviewing, holds a PhD in Economics from Northern Illinois University and one of the most recognized conservative economists in the country. Over the past few years, he has become known not only for his criticism of President Biden's administration, but also for strongly questioning the BLS's data collection approach, as well as low response rates in its surveys.

Last year, Antoni called the agency's published health safety figures "phoney baloney," and even went so far as to comment in November that "the DOGE needs to take a chainsaw to the BLS." Shortly after Trump fired McEntarfer, Antoni asserted that "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."