White House Withdraws E.J. Antoni BLS Nomination Amid Data Integrity Concerns

The White House has formally withdrawn the nomination of Dr. E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a key agency responsible for economic data. President Trump had previously fired the former BLS commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, accusing her of manipulating jobs data, which raised concerns about the agency's data integrity. Antoni, a conservative economist affiliated with the Heritage Foundation and a frequent commentator on conservative media, was nominated by Trump to ensure "honest and accurate" economic reporting. However, his nomination faced criticism from economists who questioned his qualifications and feared his leadership could undermine the reliability of BLS data, especially amid concerns about an impending government shutdown affecting data releases. The White House has submitted paperwork to the Senate to formally withdraw Antoni's nomination and indicated intentions to nominate a new candidate soon. The withdrawal has left the BLS leadership in further uncertainty following the controversial dismissal of McEntarfer.