Trump Withdraws Nomination of BLS Director Candidate Amid Controversy Over Offensive Remarks

Some Republicans Also Express Opposition

On October 30 (local time), CNN reported that the White House had withdrawn its nomination of a candidate for the director of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Citing three sources, CNN stated that the White House sent documents to the U.S. Senate to withdraw the nomination of E. J. Anthony as BLS director.

E. J. Anthony (left), Chief Economist at the Heritage Foundation, and U.S. President Donald Trump. Photo captured from Trump's Truth Social.

Previously, on August 1, U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed Erica Groshen, the BLS director appointed during the Biden administration, claiming that employment statistics had been manipulated in favor of the Democratic Party. This decision followed non-farm payroll numbers in July that fell significantly short of expert forecasts, as well as major downward revisions to previously announced employment growth figures for May and June.

At the time, there was criticism that Trump was politicizing a nonpartisan institution and undermining the independence and credibility of its statistics. Nevertheless, President Trump nominated Anthony as the new director on August 11.

Anthony is an economist who has served as the senior economist at the conservative American think tank, the Heritage Foundation. He has also been a leading critic of the BLS, particularly regarding job statistics and unemployment rate calculations, as well as broader economic data.

Earlier this month, CNN reported that Anthony had operated a Twitter account containing sexually offensive remarks about former Vice President Kamala Harris, derogatory comments about homosexuals, and vulgar insults directed at critics of President Trump. The account has since been deleted.

The outlet also noted that Anthony's digital record revealed a pattern of inflammatory statements, including conspiracy theories and misogynistic rhetoric. However, at the time, the White House defended Anthony in an official statement.

A source familiar with the matter said that moderate Republican Senators Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) refused to meet with Anthony, raising concerns that the confirmation process could be derailed.

Senator Bill Cassidy, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which has the authority to confirm the BLS director nominee, told CNN late that night that the confirmation hearing had not been officially scheduled and confirmed that Anthony's nomination had been withdrawn.

Meanwhile, the Heritage Foundation announced that Anthony would continue to serve as senior economist at the foundation.