Trump's recently appointed Labor Statistics official is a crowds spectator from the January 6th Incident, who has been implicated in inflammatory social media posts.
New Head of Bureau of Labor Statistics Faces Controversy
E.J. Antoni, a former Heritage Foundation economist, has been selected as the new head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, Antoni's nomination has been met with controversy due to a series of controversial social media posts and comments.
Antoni's Twitter account, under the handle "Dr. Curtis LeMay," has displayed a seeming obsession with promoting election denial conspiracy theories. The account has also posted at least five sexually suggestive tweets implying that Vice President Kamala Harris had advanced her career through sexual favors.
In addition, the account posted "violent religious rhetoric" and shared content from The Donald, a virulently pro-Trump message board used to organize the events of Jan 6, 2021. Surveillance footage has definitively confirmed that Antoni was at the January 6th riots, but Antoni claims he was just a "bystander" to the chaos.
Antoni has also been accused of having "rigged" job reports. Some commentators attribute the slow hiring to Trump's policies, particularly his tariffs, but Antoni's critics argue that his past criticisms of data integrity and suggestions to stop publishing monthly labor statistics raise concerns about the integrity of the BLS under his leadership.
Despite these allegations, the U.S. Labor Department has not officially commented on the matter. The Heritage Foundation and the Labor Department were contacted for comment regarding Antoni's controversial social media posts but have yet to issue specific statements on these allegations.
The BLS reported that hiring in the U.S. had stalled in August, with only 22,000 jobs added, significantly lower than the projected 80,000 jobs. The Associated Press noted the lower than expected jobs report for August.
The White House provided a statement in support of Antoni's nomination as head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. President Trump has fired Erika McEntarfer, the previous head of the BLS, but the reasons for her dismissal have not been disclosed.
The controversy surrounding Antoni's nomination continues to unfold, with many questioning his suitability for the position given his past actions and comments. It remains to be seen how this will impact Antoni's confirmation and his tenure as the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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