On Wednesday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt provided insights into the withdrawal of Dr. E.J. Antoni’s nomination for Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by the White House.
Just the day before, it was reported that President Trump had officially rescinded Dr. Antoni’s nomination, a move that raised eyebrows in political circles.
According to CNN, a White House source confirmed: “The necessary paperwork has been filed to the Senate to withdraw E.J. Antoni’s nomination for leading the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”
This nomination initially drew attention as President Trump had previously announced Dr. Antoni as his pick to steer the Bureau, framing him as a conservative economist ready to provide truthful data amidst an economy that he touted as thriving.
Dr. E.J. Antoni has become a recognizable face on the Bannon War Room and currently serves as the Chief Economist and Richard Aster Fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget. His analyses have seen exposure across a spectrum of news platforms, including Fox News, Wall Street Journal, and The Federalist, among others.
In an enthusiastic post shared on TRUTH Social, Trump lauded Dr. Antoni as a “Highly Respected Economist” whose leadership would deliver “HONEST and ACCURATE” economic data, which he deemed essential for the American public. “Congratulations E.J.!” he had exclaimed.
Prior to this nomination, Trump had taken decisive action by terminating the previous BLS Commissioner, Dr. Erika McEntarfer. This dismissal occurred shortly after a disappointing jobs report for July, which saw the U.S. economy adding a mere 73,000 jobs and necessitated downward revisions for previous months’ figures—a political move some labeled as an attempt to manipulate the economic narrative heading into the 2024 elections.
On Wednesday, Leavitt indicated that the White House decided to withdraw Dr. Antoni’s nomination due to a lack of support, noting that Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski had not engaged in discussions with him regarding his nomination.
“We will announce a new nominee in the near future,” Leavitt stated, maintaining a tone of optimism despite the setback.
WATCH:
WATCH: Karoline Leavitt explains that the administration pulled EJ Antoni’s nomination due to insufficient votes. A new nominee is set to be announced shortly.
Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins reportedly did not… pic.twitter.com/odEIhsBaj0
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 1, 2025
