President Donald Trump’s contentious nominee to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics is getting a boost — from his own employer.
The Heritage Foundation, where E.J. Antoni serves as chief economist, is launching a new advertisement this morning that backs Antoni as a “respected and trusted voice” to lead BLS. Heritage plans to invest as much as six figures to push the ad on social media, TV, and through direct outreach, a spokesperson told Semafor.
While Heritage and its advocacy arm have backed previous Trump Cabinet nominees, it’s notable to see the group spend to support a lower-level pick.
Antoni “is a renowned economist who will rely on objective data to restore integrity, accountability, and America’s trust in the agency,” Heritage’s Mary Vought said.
Other economists have scrutinized Antoni’s record.