The White House withdrew the nomination of E.J. Antoni as head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, following widespread criticism of the controversial contributor to Project 2025 across the political spectrum. The administration filed paperwork with the Senate to terminate Antoni’s nomination after multiple scandals emerged regarding his past social media activity and public statements.
President Donald Trump announced Antoni’s nomination in August 2025, following the firing of former BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, who had claimed without evidence that disappointing job report figures had been rigged. The 37-year-old Heritage Foundation economist, Antoni, was selected to replace McEntarfer following Trump’s allegations that the agency had manipulated data to portray Republicans in a negative light.
Antoni’s nomination faced immediate scrutiny from economists and policy experts. Multiple former BLS commissioners and nonpartisan economic groups criticized the appointment, with some calling Antoni completely unqualified and an extreme partisan. Stan Veuger, a senior fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, described Antoni as utterly unqualified and as partisan as possible.
The withdrawal came after CNN and other outlets uncovered Antoni’s extensive history of offensive social media posts spanning back a decade. The posts included derogatory attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris, false conspiracy theories about Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, and offensive comments about the late Republican Senator John McCain. After Harris dropped out of the 2020 Democratic presidential race, Antoni posted inflammatory content suggesting inappropriate behavior.
Additional controversy surrounded Antoni’s apparent presence at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, despite White House claims that he was merely a bystander. The economist also consistently displayed artwork of the German World War II battleship Bismarck, Adolf Hitler’s favorite ship, during multiple podcast interviews. When questioned about the imagery, Antoni acknowledged “The Bismarck, yep, in all his glory” during a 2023 Bitcoin podcast appearance.
The White House initially defended the nomination, stating that Antoni was a history enthusiast with an appreciation for maritime history, whose office contained various artifacts and artwork featuring battleships and famous vessels. However, the mounting criticism and revelations about his social media activity ultimately led to the withdrawal.
Antoni had outlined plans to significantly alter BLS operations if confirmed. He proposed suspending monthly job reports in favor of less frequent quarterly data, claiming the monthly reports were less accurate despite their timeliness. This proposal raised concerns among economists who rely on timely employment data for economic analysis and policy decisions.
Following the withdrawal announcement, Antoni released a lengthy statement on the social media platform X on October 2, 2025. He confirmed he would not be joining the BLS while hinting at disappointment with elected officials who lacked the courage to support his reform agenda. Antoni thanked Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for their support while criticizing unnamed officials for their lack of backing.
In his statement, Antoni emphasized that Americans had voted for government reform, transparency, and efficiency, changes he believed required accurate economic data delivered consistently and timely. He indicated he would remain at the Heritage Foundation and continue advocating for reforms he believed the BLS desperately needed.
The nomination and subsequent withdrawal highlighted ongoing tensions over the independence of federal statistical agencies. Former BLS commissioners and nonpartisan groups emphasized the importance of maintaining the agency’s credibility and nonpartisan nature. The Friends of the BLS, a nonpartisan organization that supports the agency, stated that the next nominee should demonstrate a commitment to gold-standard statistics, strong management skills, excellent economic training, and a record of upholding BLS integrity.
White House officials indicated that Trump remained committed to addressing what he characterized as longstanding failures at the BLS that had undermined public trust in critical economic data. The administration announced plans to nominate a replacement candidate soon, though no timeline was provided for the announcement.
The withdrawal occurred during a particularly sensitive period for economic data, as economists noted the critical importance of accurate employment statistics during times of economic uncertainty. The controversy surrounding Antoni’s nomination underscored broader debates about the politicization of federal agencies traditionally considered independent and nonpartisan in their data collection and reporting functions.
Project 2025 is a policy blueprint created by the Heritage Foundation and a coalition of conservative groups to guide a future Republican administration. It outlines plans to reshape the federal government by reducing the civil service, expanding executive power, and implementing socially conservative policies across agencies. It has been adopted by the Trump administration during Trump’s second term.
