The White House is withdrawing the nomination of E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics amid criticism of the pick from across the political spectrum.
The decision to pull the nomination was confirmed Tuesday by two people with knowledge of the matter who were granted anonymity to discuss personnel decisions.
President Donald Trump tapped Antoni, a Heritage Foundation economist, to lead the agency after he fired former Commissioner Erika McEntarfer following a soft jobs report last month, a move that drew criticism and concern from economists who rely on the data.
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Democrats also panned his nomination after reports surfaced that he was present at the Jan. 6 riots in the U.S. Capitol. Antoni’s presence on right-wing forums rankled economists across the ideological spectrum who questioned whether he was qualified for the role.
William Wiatrowski has served as the acting commissioner at the agency since McEntarfer was removed.
