The White House has withdrawn Dr. EJ Antoni’s nomination to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), citing insufficient Senate support for confirmation. The decision comes after Republican senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins declined to engage with Antoni during his consideration, leaving him without crucial backing.
Antoni, a conservative economist and contributor to Project 2025, was initially nominated by President Donald Trump in August following the dismissal of BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. Trump had criticized McEntarfer’s leadership after a July jobs report showed tepid job growth, which he falsely claimed was “rigged” to harm his re-election prospects. Antoni was positioned as a reformer who would ensure “honest and accurate” data.
However, Senate Republicans abandoned the nomination, with Leavitt stating Antoni lacked the necessary votes. Critics highlighted his controversial stance, including skepticism of BLS methodologies and calls to suspend monthly job reports in favor of quarterly releases. His past role as a “bystander” during the 2021 Capitol insurrection further fueled scrutiny.
The White House has not yet announced a replacement for the BLS chief, leaving the agency’s leadership in limbo amid ongoing debates over economic data integrity.
