WASHINGTON – On Friday, President Donald Trump announced his intention to appoint Brett Matsumoto, a government economist, as the new head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This decision follows Trump’s earlier accusations that the federal agency was producing unfavorable job statistics to damage his reputation.
While there is no substantiated proof that the BLS intended to harm Trump’s image through its data, recent revisions of employment reports over the summer indicated a dip in the job market following Trump’s return to the White House. This led to the dismissal of the agency’s director in August.
Trump has consistently criticized the BLS, labeling its former leadership as “WEAK and STUPID” in a social media post on Friday evening.
However, Trump expressed confidence in Matsumoto’s ability to rectify any problems within the BLS. Matsumoto, who has previously served as a supervisory research economist at the agency, is currently a senior economist with the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
“Brett Matsumoto is a Brilliant, Reputable, and Trusted Economist who will restore GREATNESS to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,” Trump declared on Truth Social.
Initially, Trump had nominated E.J. Antoni, the chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, to lead the BLS. However, the White House rescinded this nomination in September after Antoni faced criticism regarding his credentials. Additionally, NBC News reported that Antoni was present during the events surrounding the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Trump had the previous BLS commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, fired after the July jobs report was released in August. That jobs report showed that just 73,000 jobs were added last month and that 258,000 fewer jobs were created in May and June than previously estimated. The July figure has since been revised downward to 72,000.
The BLS also releases an array of economic reports, including the consumer price index that covers inflation.
The Wall Street Journal first reported Matsumoto’s selection by Trump.
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