White House Says New Pick to Lead BLS Coming Very Soon

President Donald Trump has withdrawn his nomination of E.J. Antoni for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (The White House)

Key Points

• The White House withdrew E.J. Antoni’s nomination for Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, with a new nominee expected soon.
• The selection of internal candidates could be hampered by the ongoing government shutdown.
• Concerns about Antoni’s nomination included his lack of experience and reported presence at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

The White House withdrew E.J. Antoni’s nomination to serve as commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but plans to announce a new nominee shortly.

A White House official said Wednesday that President Donald Trump is “committed to fixing the longstanding failures at the BLS that have undermined the public’s trust in critical economic data,” adding that Trump plans to announce a new nominee very soon.

In a briefing on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added that it became clear that Antoni wasn’t going to have the votes to be confirmed by the Senate. “We will be announcing a replacement nominee very soon,” Leavitt said. “E.J. Antoni remains a great ally of the president and of our team.”

It’s expected that Trump will likely select a candidate currently serving within the statistical agencies or the Council of Economic Advisers, though the selection process of internal candidates could be hampered by the government shutdown. At the BLS, for example, only acting Commissioner William Wiatrowski isn’t subject to furlough.

Among the Council of Economic Advisers, Chair Stephen Miran is currently on leave while he serves on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and Reuters reports that acting chair Pierre Yared is being considered for a position at the International Monetary Fund.

The Friends of BLS, an organization made up of the members at leading national statistical associations, urged Trump to find a new nominee who demonstrates a commitment to “gold-standard statistics, strong management skills, excellent economics training, and a record of public support for the integrity of BLS products and standards.”

Antoni, who is currently chief economist of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, was picked to head the BLS on Aug. 11 after Trump fired former Commissioner Erika McEntarfer after a weak July jobs report. The U.S. added 79,000 jobs in July, but published updates that slashed 258,000 job gains from previously monthly estimates.

Trump called the July employment data inaccurate, specifically saying the updated estimates were a “huge mistake.” He noted that McEntarfer, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, “rigged” the jobs numbers to hurt him politically. McEntarfer vouched for the accuracy of the BLS data produced during her term in an appearance last month and called her termination a “dangerous step” for the economy.

Antoni, a contributor to Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation blueprint for reshaping the government, previously held positions on the Committee to Unleash Prosperity and the Texas Public Policy Foundation. He earned master’s and doctoral degrees in economics from Northern Illinois University. Antoni didn’t respond to Barron’s requests for comment.

Concerns over Antoni’s appointment were immediately raised regarding his lack of experience, as well as his reported presence at the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. The White House has previously said he was a bystander.

Write to Megan Leonhardt at megan.leonhardt@barrons.com