Trump names conservative economist to lead labour statistics agency

US president’s information comes aft firing of bureau caput raised concerns astir integrity of US authorities statistics.

United States President Donald Trump has tapped an economist from a blimpish deliberation vessel to pb a cardinal statistic bureau aft firing its erstwhile caput implicit her relation successful the merchandise of anemic employment figures.

Trump said connected Monday that helium had nominated EJ Antoni, the main economist astatine the Heritage Foundation, to pb the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

“Our Economy is booming, and E.J. volition guarantee that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE. I cognize E.J. Antoni volition bash an unthinkable occupation successful this caller role. Congratulations E.J.!” Trump wrote connected his Truth Social platform.

Trump’s information of Antoni, who requires confirmation by the US Senate, comes aft his firing of Erika McEntarfer earlier this period raised concerns astir US authorities statistic remaining credible and escaped of governmental influence.

Trump justified McEntarfer’s dismissal by claiming, without evidence, that the latest jobs report, which showed sharply slower jobs maturation for May and June than antecedently estimated, had been “rigged” to marque him look bad.

At the Heritage Foundation, Antoni, who had called for McEntarfer’s removal soon earlier she was fired, has consistently showered Trump with praise.

After Trump’s announcement of a commercialized woody with Japan past month, Antoni described the statement arsenic “darn close” to cleanable and the US president and his Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, arsenic “artistic masters”.

Last week, Antoni said successful a societal media station that determination were “better ways to collect, process, and disseminate” economical data, and that the adjacent caput of the BLS would request to present “accurate information successful a timely manner” to rebuild spot successful the agency.

Antoni and the Heritage Foundation did not instantly respond to requests for comment.

Antoni’s information swiftly drew disapproval from economists, who raised concerns astir his qualifications and partisan leanings.

Jason Furman, an economist astatine Harvard Kennedy School who served arsenic an advisor to erstwhile US President Barack Obama, called Antoni “completely unqualified”.

“He is an utmost partisan and does not person immoderate applicable expertise. He would beryllium a interruption from decades of nonpartisan technocrats,” Furman said successful a station connected X.

Erica Groshen, who led the BLS nether Obama, voiced akin concerns.

“So far, what worries maine is that the nominee and his enactment are not good known successful the business, world oregon nationalist work communities,” Groshen told Al Jazeera.