On Monday, President Donald Trump announced that he would nominate EJ Antoni as Commissioner for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
In a Truth Social post, Trump said that the U.S. economy was “booming,” and expressed confidence that Antoni would release labor figures that were “honest and accurate.”
“I know E.J. Antoni will do an incredible job in this new role,” he said.
A Conservative Economist And Federal Budget Expert
Antoni, who is currently the Chief Economist at conservative think-tank, The Heritage Foundation, is an expert on the Federal Budget.
See Also: Unemployment Claims Rise–And That’s A Problem For The Fed
With a master’s and a doctoral degree in economics from Northern Illinois University, Antoni regularly speaks at colleges and financial institutions. According to his bio on the foundation’s website, he has taught courses on a wide range of topics, from labor economics to money and banking.
Previously, he served as an economist at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, where his research focused on fiscal and monetary policy.
He is regularly featured in media outlets such as Fox News, Fox Business, Bloomberg, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. He also serves as an in-house economist on The VINCE Show, a nationally syndicated talk show.
The Heritage Foundation has held a unique relationship with Former President Ronald Reagan, and refers to itself as “Reagan’s favorite think tank.” It says, “Reagan was the embodiment of the ideas and principles Heritage holds dear.”
Former Commissioner Fired Over “Faked” Job Numbers
Trump fired the former BLS Chief, Erika McEntarfer, early this month, just hours after the disappointing July jobs report, which showed just 73,000 new jobs added, falling short of 110,000 expected.
Apart from this, the report made massive revisions to prior months, with job growth in May and June, slashed from 144,000 and 147,000, to just 19,000 and 14,000, respectively.
In a Truth Social post, Trump accused McEntarfer of having “faked the Jobs Numbers before the Election to try and boost Kamala's [Harris'] chances of Victory,” citing it as the reason for her firing. Economists have, however, warned that the move could erode market trust in institutions.
Former chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Jason Furman expressed concerns regarding the move, saying that even the appearance of political interference “would be bad” for an independent statistical agency.
Photo Courtesy: Mark Van Scyoc on Shutterstock.com
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