Trump nominates Heritage Foundation economist as labor statistics chief | Trump administration

Donald Trump has introduced he’s nominating EJ Antoni, the chief economist on the conservative Heritage Basis, as the following commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.“Our Financial system is booming, and E.J. will be sure that the Numbers launched are HONEST and ACCURATE,” Trump stated in a publish on Reality Social.The nomination comes after Trump fired the BLS commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, earlier this month following the discharge of a weak jobs report which he claimed, with out proof, had been “rigged”.Antoni, a longtime critic of the company, had beforehand voiced issues about revisions to the BLS jobs information.“There are higher methods to gather, course of, and disseminate information – that’s the process for the following BLS commissioner, and solely constant supply of correct information in a well timed method will rebuild the belief that has been misplaced over the past a number of years,” Antoni posted on X earlier this month.The Senate must affirm his nomination to guide the BLS, an impartial company underneath the labor division. The Wall Avenue Journal reported on Sunday that former White Home adviser and rightwing provocateur Steve Bannon had advocated for Antoni’s nomination.In a press release on X, labor secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer stated Antoni would “present the American folks with truthful and correct financial information they’ll depend on”.The president’s shock firing of McEntarfer alarmed economists and statisticians – in addition to some senior Republican lawmakers –who feared the transfer would undermine the credibility of the company’s financial information – lengthy seen as a gold normal.