Trump Administration Retracts Nomination for Head of Bureau of Labor Statistics

The Trump administration has retracted its nomination of conservative economist E.J. Antoni for leading the Bureau of Labor Statistics, following concerns from within the Republican Party and economists about his impact on data integrity. The White House announced Tuesday that President Donald Trump would soon announce a new nominee.

Antoni, who currently serves as the chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, was nominated last month after Trump fired the agency's previous head, Erika McEntarfer, claiming she manipulated statistics. The nomination stirred controversy as it highlighted potential biases affecting critical economic reporting used globally.

The U.S. Senate, facing a looming government shutdown, did not schedule a confirmation hearing for Antoni. This pause underscores growing unease about the quality and reliability of data emerging from the Bureau, as Trump's actions intensify scrutiny of federal economic agencies.