E. J. Antoni, an economist at the Heritage Foundation, has expressed skepticism and criticism regarding the Bureau of Labor Statistics' data collection methods prior to his nomination to lead the agency.
Mostly True
E. J. Antoni, economist at the Heritage Foundation, has been critical of how the Bureau of Labor Statistics collects data.
Trump nominates Heritage Foundation economist as labor statistics chief - Trump administration | The Guardian
Source: theguardian.com
At a glance
Verified August 12, 2025Key Evidence
President Donald Trump nominated E. J. Antoni, chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, as commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics in August 2025.
nationalreview.comnationalreview.comTrump Nominates Heritage Foundation Economist E. J. Antoni as Bureau of Labor...
bloomberg.combloomberg.comTrump Names Heritage’s EJ Antoni to Lead Bureau of Labor Statistics
Antoni had previously voiced concerns and skepticism about revisions to BLS jobs data and questioned the agency's statistics.
theguardian.comtheguardian.comTrump nominates Heritage Foundation economist as labor statistics chief
thehill.comthehill.comTrump taps conservative economist EJ Antoni to serve as next labor statistics...
His nomination followed public criticism of BLS data collection methods, indicating a critical stance toward the agency.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
E. J. Antoni is indeed a chief economist at the Heritage Foundation and has been publicly critical of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data collection and reporting practices. Multiple sources confirm that Antoni voiced concerns about revisions to BLS jobs data and expressed skepticism about the agency's statistics before being nominated by President Donald Trump in August 2025 to serve as the BLS commissioner. This criticism aligns with his conservative economic perspective and his role at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
However, while Antoni has been critical, the sources do not provide detailed specifics on the nature or extent of his criticisms, nor do they confirm that these criticisms are widely accepted or validated by independent experts. The nomination itself highlights a political dimension to his critiques, as he is expected to lead the agency after previously questioning its data integrity.
In summary:
Antoni is a Heritage Foundation economist.
He has publicly criticized or expressed skepticism about BLS data collection and revisions.
He was nominated by President Trump in 2025 to lead the BLS.
This supports the claim but with some nuance regarding the scope and impact of his criticisms.
Primary trail
Verified Sources7
Open source