In a 12/8 announcement on Truth Social, former US president Donald Trump declared his nomination of Dr. E.J. Antoni to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). "I am nominating highly respected economist Dr. E.J. Antoni to be the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics," Trump stated. "Our economy is BOOMING, and E.J. will make sure that the numbers are reported fairly and accurately.".

If confirmed by the Senate, Antoni would replace Erika McEntarfer, whom Trump fired earlier this month, accusing her of manipulating employment figures to make him and the Republican Party "look bad". The BLS's 1/8 report revealed July's figures were significantly lower than expected, with substantial downward revisions to new US jobs data for the preceding two months.

Trump's choice has raised concerns among economists due to Antoni's apparent lack of economic leadership experience and perceived partisan views.

"I've done a few shows with Antoni and two things stood out: a lack of basic economic literacy and the speed with which he converted to full MAGA," Dave Hebert, an economist at the conservative American Institute for Economic Research, posted on X. "I can only hope the Senate blocks this.".

Former President Donald Trump and BLS nominee E.J. Antoni. Photo: Truth Social/realDonald Trump

Former President Donald Trump and BLS nominee E.J. Antoni. Photo: Truth Social/realDonald Trump

The 37-year-old Antoni earned his master's and doctoral degrees in economics from Northern Illinois University in 2018 and 2020, respectively. In 2021, he joined the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank in Austin that has sued the federal government to overturn climate change regulations.

In 2022, Antoni joined the Heritage Foundation, focusing on regional economic issues, and now serves as their chief economist. He also advises the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, a group of conservative economic commentators co-founded by Stephen Moore, a longtime Trump advisor.

Given this background, Antoni's nomination is surprising. Previous BLS commissioners typically possess extensive experience in government, academia, or Wall Street, the Wall Street Journal noted. Many rise to the position through long careers within the BLS itself.

Searches on the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and Google Scholar databases suggest Antoni has published no academic research since his dissertation.

"He has the economics degrees, but it doesn’t mean he understands how the BLS collects data and revises them from month to month," Sung Won-sohn, a professor of economics and finance at Loyola Marymount University in California, told Reuters. "Some of the upcoming numbers are not going to be to President Trump's liking. It’ll be interesting to see how Antoni will explain and how the boss in the White House will react.".

Most of Antoni's commentaries at the Heritage Foundation praise Trump-era economic policies and achievements. He frequently posts on X and appears on conservative podcasts like Steve Bannon's "War Room", criticizing the Biden administration's policies.

While the BLS is part of the US Department of Labor, it operates as a non-partisan, independent agency.

"Antoni is completely unqualified to lead the BLS. Appointing him would break with the decades-long tradition of non-partisan, technical experts," Harvard University economist Jason Furman, who chaired the Council of Economic Advisers under Barack Obama, posted on X.

Kyle Pomerleau, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, echoed this sentiment, noting there are many qualified, independent conservative experts who could lead the BLS, "and Antoni is not one of them".

Neil Dutta, an expert at the independent macroeconomic research firm Renaissance Macro Research, warned that appointing a partisan head of the BLS could backfire on Trump. If Antoni is confirmed and uses his authority to influence the BLS to release data favorable to the Trump administration, the data's credibility could suffer, potentially delaying the Federal Reserve interest rate cuts Trump desires.

Observers will closely scrutinize future data releases for signs of manipulation, such as withholding information, unexplained table revisions, changes in statistical methods, or internal BLS personnel changes.

Antoni's own comments have also raised concerns. In a 4/8 interview with Fox Business, he stated that the BLS "has serious problems that need to be fixed," adding, "until then, the BLS should suspend the monthly jobs report, but continue to issue the quarterly data, which is more accurate, albeit less timely.".

Antoni has suggested better ways to collect, process, and classify data. He believes that consistently providing accurate and timely data is crucial to restoring trust lost in recent years.

"If a new commissioner comes in and you see a lot of firings or resignations in the ranks immediately below, that’s certainly not something that inspires confidence," commented Michael Feroli, chief US economist at J.P. Morgan.

Dr. E.J. Antoni, nominee for Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor. Photo: Texas Public Policy Foundation

Dr. E.J. Antoni, nominee for Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor. Photo: Texas Public Policy Foundation

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on 12/8 that the BLS aims to continue publishing monthly jobs reports. She noted that data quality has declined, highlighting the need for the new BLS commissioner to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Senator Bill Cassidy, the Republican chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, stressed the need for a BLS commissioner committed to providing accurate and unbiased economic data. He plans to address this further during Antoni's confirmation hearing.

Bill Beach, Trump's 2019 BLS appointee, expressed concern about Antoni's suggestion to suspend monthly jobs reports, arguing that it would hinder efforts to rebuild trust. "I think you have to fix the problem, issue the report, and be as transparent as possible," Beach said. "Antoni has to be a buffer between the White House and the BLS".

Nhu Tam (WSJ, CNN, AP)