The White House withdrew the nomination of E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Tuesday, September 30, following widespread criticism of the Project 2025 architect’s controversial social media history and qualifications for the position.
Antoni, a 37-year-old economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, had been selected by President Donald Trump in August to replace former BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. The nomination was pulled after an exposé revealed Antoni’s history as an online provocateur, including offensive posts about political figures, spanning nearly a decade.
The White House filed paperwork with the Senate to withdraw the nomination, according to reports, though officials did not provide specific reasons for the decision. Antoni confirmed his withdrawal from consideration in a lengthy social media post on Wednesday, hinting at resistance from lawmakers who lacked the courage to support reform efforts.
Antoni’s controversial online presence included posts insulting former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, with one particularly offensive comment after Harris dropped out of the 2020 Democratic primary race. His problematic posts stretched back approximately ten years across multiple platforms, including X and the right-wing social network Parler, using various usernames.
The economist also participated in podcast interviews where artwork depicting the German World War II battleship Bismarck was visible in the background. During one 2023 Bitcoin podcast appearance, Antoni acknowledged the ship, which was historically Adolf Hitler’s favorite vessel. Additionally, his posts included false conspiracy theories about Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar and offensive comments about the late Republican Senator John McCain.
Antoni’s nomination had drawn sharp criticism from economists across the political spectrum. University of Michigan Economics Professor Justin Wolfers described him as having few credentials beyond partisan loyalty and demonstrating no commitment to truth. Jessica Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, characterized Antoni’s published work as containing more errors than any other think tank economist currently active.
The Heritage Foundation economist had been a vocal critic of the BLS and proposed significant changes to its operations. He suggested suspending monthly job reports in favor of less frequent quarterly data releases, despite the monthly reports providing crucial economic information for policymakers, employers, and economists.
Antoni’s selection came after Trump fired McEntarfer on August 1, following disappointing July jobs data that showed only 73,000 jobs added, far below the expected 109,000. The president accused McEntarfer of manipulating numbers for political purposes, despite economists noting that such data revisions are routine as more complete information becomes available from employer surveys.
The nomination had backing from MAGA hardliners, including Steve Bannon, who featured Antoni on his podcast where the economist called for a complete overhaul of the statistical agency. Antoni argued that “We need a redo at BLS, essentially,” and suggested installing a MAGA Republican in leadership.
As a contributor to Project 2025, Antoni helped develop the comprehensive conservative blueprint that became controversial during Trump’s 2024 campaign. The 900-page document outlines sweeping federal agency reforms and policy changes that critics characterize as a radical shift toward centralized, conservative-driven governance.
Even the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board, published by media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s company, warned that Antoni would need to set aside his political allegiances to maintain public trust in BLS data. The newspaper noted that downward revisions to employment statistics are common, citing similar adjustments of nearly 600,000 jobs in March 2024 under the Biden administration.
Former BLS Commissioner William Beach, whom Trump appointed during his first term, had criticized McEntarfer’s firing as damaging and defended the routine nature of statistical revisions. Beach emphasized that such adjustments result from declining business survey response rates, requiring statisticians to rely more heavily on models and estimates.
Following his withdrawal, Antoni indicated he would continue working at the Heritage Foundation and advocating for BLS reforms. A White House official stated that the administration would announce a new nominee for the position shortly, emphasizing the president’s commitment to addressing longstanding failures at the statistical agency.
The withdrawn nomination would have required Senate confirmation, where Antoni faced an uncertain path given the criticism from economists and concerns about politicizing economic data collection. The BLS currently has several vacant leadership positions and faces proposed budget cuts of $56 million in the White House budget proposal.
Antoni holds a doctorate in economics from Northern Illinois University, earned in 2020, and has worked for several right-wing organizations, including the now-defunct FreedomWorks and the Texas Public Policy Foundation. He regularly contributes commentary to major news outlets and serves as an in-house economist for a nationally syndicated talk radio show.
Project 2025 is a policy framework developed by the Heritage Foundation in partnership with various conservative organizations to guide the agenda of a Republican administration. It proposes an overhaul of the federal government by cutting back the civil service workforce, strengthening presidential authority, and promoting socially conservative initiatives throughout federal agencies. The Trump administration has embraced this plan during Trump’s second term.
