When a Downturn Comes, Will Republicans Acknowledge It?
EJ Antoni’s nomination to head the BLS illustrates two perils facing the economy: the coming slowdown, and a party that refuses to recognize it.
The Senate leadership has some decisions to make.
Photographer: Alex Wong/Getty Images North AmericaThe internet has been quick to dig into the professional history of EJ Antoni, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It doesn’t take long. Currently the chief economist for the Heritage Foundation, he got his doctorate just five years ago and has no publications or citations of note. He has no experience with large public surveys, no research about survey methodology, and no history of managing large organizations such as the 2,000 people who work at the BLS. Unusually for an economist, he appears not to have a strong grasp of how recessions work.
Ultimately, however, Antoni himself is uninteresting. He’s just another unqualified Trump nominee. His nomination is worth paying attention to, however, because it illustrates the twin perils facing the economy: the coming slowdown, and a party that refuses to acknowledge it.