Trump Appoints New Bureau of Labor Statistics Chief from Conservative Think Tank

Economist from the Heritage Foundation
Nominated as New Director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Trump: "He Will Ensure Honest and Accurate Numbers"
Position Requires Senate Confirmation

On August 11 (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump nominated E. J. Antoni, the chief economist at the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, as the new head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

President Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, "I am pleased to nominate Dr. Antoni, a respected economist, as the next head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics," adding, "We are experiencing an economic boom, and he will ensure that the figures released are honest and accurate." However, the position requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

The Heritage Foundation, where the newly appointed director Antoni works, is a conservative think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., that has a significant influence on the policy direction of the Republican Party and the broader conservative movement. He also serves as a senior fellow at the economic policy organization Unleash Prosperity. Bloomberg News noted that this organization "has regularly provided policy ideas to President Trump." The Heritage Foundation is the think tank that developed "Project 2025," a summary of policy initiatives for a potential second Trump administration during last year's presidential election.

On August 1, after the Bureau of Labor Statistics, under the Department of Labor, released data showing a deterioration in employment conditions over the past three months, President Trump dismissed Director Erica Groshen just hours after the announcement. According to the Department of Labor, nonfarm payrolls increased by only 73,000 in July, far below the market forecast of 106,000. In addition, employment figures for May and June were revised downward to 19,000 and 14,000, respectively, significantly lower than the previously announced figures of 144,000 and 147,000. The release of these so-called "employment shock" figures lent weight to criticism that President Trump's trade policies were beginning to have a substantial impact on the broader labor market.

Despite criticism from Wall Street and political circles following the dismissal, President Trump reiterated on August 4, "Last week's jobs report was RIGGED," maintaining his previous stance. He claimed, "In both cases, there were massive, record-breaking revisions to benefit the radical left Democrats," and added, "These large adjustments were an attempt to conceal and normalize manipulated political figures that would make the great success of the Republican Party less apparent." He continued, "I will appoint an excellent successor," and concluded, "Thank you for your attention to this matter. Make America Great Again (MAGA)!"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.