Trump withdraws EJ Antoni's nomination to serve as commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics
According to different media outlets, Antoni was one of the qualified voices urging Trump to fire McEntarfer, this being a move that several economists both Democrats and Republicans strongly criticized.
E.J. Antoni in a file image.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday withdrew the nomination of E.J. Antoni to serve as the next commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), after ousting the agency's previous commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, following criticism of the latest employment data released during her tenure. According to NBC News, a member of the Administration who spoke to the media outlet on condition of anonymity explained that "The White House looks forward to nominating a new candidate to lead the BLS very soon."
">Dr. E.J. Antoni continues to be one of the sharpest economic minds in the country. E.J.’s immense capabilities and insightful economic analysis have not changed—and we are very proud to have him on our team.
— Kevin Roberts (@KevinRobertsTX) October 1, 2025
It is undeniable that BLS needs reform and @RealEJAntoni was the right… pic.twitter.com/qrDuOBcsxd
The Heritage Foundation, a prestigious conservative Think Tank of which Antoni was a part, confirmed through the X account of its director Kevin Roberts that the Republican economist was returning to his former position at the think tank following Trump's decision. "Dr. E.J. Antoni continues to be one of the sharpest economic minds in the country. E.J.’s immense capabilities and insightful economic analysis have not changed—and we are very proud to have him on our team. It is undeniable that BLS needs reform and @RealEJAntoni was the right man for the job. E.J. will keep calling for that reform and serving the interests of the American people from his invaluable role as chief economist at @Heritage," Roberts tweeted.
Antoni would not have the support of Collins and Murkowski.
According to different media, Antoni was one of the qualified voices urging Trump to fire McEntarfer, this being a move that several economists both Democrats and Republicans strongly criticized. McEntarfer was originally appointed to the commissioner's post during the administration of former Democratic President Joe Biden, after having broad bipartisan support in the Senate in 2024. Trump decided to oust her after her August employment report showed lower-than-expected hiring in July.
According to reported CNN, the reason Trump would have made the decision to withdraw Antoni's nomination to serve as the new BLS commissioner would be because of the difficulties he would have in securing the support of Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, which would have made it difficult for him to be confirmed.
Who is E.J. Antoni?
In 2024, 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."
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