Trump Hires ‘MAGA’ Data Chief — Sparking Alarm From Conservatives and Liberals
(Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP photo)
President Donald Trump sparked a wave of alarm and concern on Monday night by nominating Heritage Foundation senior scholar E.J. Antoni to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Trump nominated Antoni weeks after firing Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the Biden-appointed BLS commissioner, whom he accused of “rigging” jobs data to make him look “bad” – following a brutal July report.
Antoni added fuel to the fire surrounding his nomination on Tuesday when he told Fox News Digital he would likely not release more monthly jobs reports until the data issues are “corrected.” Antoni’s nomination has also been plagued by accusations of political bias as Trump fired McEntarfer just hours after Steve Bannon and Antoni discussed the need for a “MAGA Republican” to be in charge of the jobs data.
Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Jessica Riedl replied to Antoni’s Fox remarks, arguing, “Senators who vote to confirm Antoni are voting to essentially eviscerate the BLS and its jobs data.”
“This will reassure literally no one who isn’t already all-in for Trump’s version of reality. And it will worry lots of folks who hoped to be proven wrong,” reacted The Dispatch’s Jonah Goldberg to Antoni’s nomination.
Independent journalist Isaac Saul added, “I’ve hesitated to comment on this nomination, but it’s quite obvious Antoni is not qualified. He is worse than not qualified, actually; he is agenda-driven, untrustworthy, and wasting no time pushing to limit the public’s access to critical economic data.”
Below are some more reactions from across the political spectrum:
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