BLS leadership change announced

Trump nominates E.J. Antoni to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics after ousting the previous commissioner following a weak jobs report.

Trump taps Antoni to lead BLS after firing commissioner

Washington — President Trump has nominated E.J. Antoni, a Heritage Foundation fellow and economist, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The nomination follows the firing of Erika McEntarfer earlier this month in a move the White House cast as a step to restore credibility after a weaker July jobs report and revisions to prior months. Antoni holds a doctorate in economics and has defended Trump policies, while signaling doubts about BLS methods and calling some health insurance figures questionable in the past.

Antoni will need Senate confirmation to take the role, and reactions split along party lines. Supporters say the appointment could push for faster, more transparent data, while opponents warn it risks politicizing a key independent agency. The firing drew criticism from former BLS leaders and several economists, who warned that independence and staff morale could suffer as the agency comes under closer political scrutiny.

The move puts a spotlight on the tension between political accountability and statistical independence. A change at the top can influence how data are produced and revised, shaping how the public interprets the labor market. There is a real risk that the BLS’s credibility could be tested further if the appointment is seen as a partisan compromise rather than a professional upgrade. Senate confirmation will test the severity of partisan divides and the willingness of lawmakers to defend or challenge the agency’s independence.

If Antoni takes the helm, his alignments with a specific policy stance may color the perception of data reliability and revisions. If not, the episode could become a cautionary tale about how political pressure can unsettle a historically nonpartisan statistical institution. The broader question is whether the nation can trust official labor numbers when leadership changes are tied to political narratives.

Highlights

Trust in data is earned, not demanded by politics.