Nomination Withdrawn for Key Economic Position
The White House has withdrawn the nomination of E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, according to sources familiar with the matter. The decision was formally communicated to the Senate on Tuesday, though the administration has not publicly announced the withdrawal.
Background on the Controversial Nomination
President Trump had nominated Antoni in August to head the federal agency responsible for producing critical economic data, including the monthly jobs report and consumer price index. As chief economist at The Heritage Foundation, Antoni had been a vocal critic of the BLS and its methodologies.
Most economists expressed concerns about Antoni’s qualifications, noting his partisan background and what they described as fundamental misunderstandings of economic indicators. Conservative tax expert Kyle Pomerleau publicly stated that while many competent conservative economists could handle the position, Antoni was not among them.
Credibility Questions Emerge
Additional factors raised concerns about Antoni’s suitability for the role of impartial economic scorekeeper. Reports indicated his presence near the U.S. Capitol during the January 6th insurrection, and observers noted his use of Nazi-era German battleship imagery as background during television interviews.
Financial disclosures revealed Antoni earned nearly $500,000 annually from his position at The Heritage Foundation, plus additional income from speaking engagements and consulting work.
Administration Response and Context
The White House declined to specify reasons for withdrawing the nomination, describing Antoni as “a talented economist” and indicating the president would soon announce a new nominee. This development follows Trump’s dismissal of previous BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer after disappointing jobs report revisions.
The administration maintains it seeks accurate economic figures despite the president’s claims on social media that employment numbers were politically manipulated against him. Recent months have seen job growth average less than 27,000 positions monthly following the implementation of Trump’s tariff policies.
Additional Nomination Withdrawn
In a separate action, the White House also withdrew the nomination of Brian Quintenz to chair the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Officials described Quintenz as a trusted ally and indicated a replacement nominee would be forthcoming.
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