Trump Appoints BLS Critic E.J. Antoni to Lead Bureau of Labor Statistics

White House Economic Briefing

• 📣 White House Press Secretary Caroline Levit described the latest economic report as positive, noting that inflation beat market expectations.
• 🏛️ President Trump is reportedly considering a lawsuit against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for alleged mismanagement of Federal Reserve headquarters renovations.
• 📈 Trump also used the economic news to reiterate his call for Powell to lower interest rates.

Leadership Change at the Bureau of Labor Statistics

• 👤 President Trump announced the nomination of conservative economist Dr. E.J. Antoni to be the next commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
• 📅 This nomination occurred just 10 days after Trump fired the previous BLS commissioner following a weak jobs report.
• 🗣️ The former commissioner was accused of allegedly rigging jobs data to negatively impact the perception of Republicans.

Data Trust and Accuracy

• ❓ When asked if Trump agrees with Antoni's stance on suspending the monthly jobs report, Levit stated the administration wants to ensure all BLS data, including inflation and jobs reports, is trustworthy and accurate.
• 🔄 The president has therefore restored new leadership at the BLS to achieve this goal.