An economist Donald Trump once wanted to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics for his “honest” and “accurate” economic assessments has blasted the fallout from the president’s war in Iran.
E.J. Antoni, chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation and a co-author of the Project 2025 manifesto, said the U.S. economy is not strong enough to cope with the oil crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict and warned rising costs will hurt Americans.
“I don’t think this is an economy that is going to be able to handle $100 a barrel for oil, it’s just not,” Antoni told the Financial Times. “The economy is weaker than we thought it was, and inflation is worse than we thought it was.”
“The lower energy prices that we saw in 2025 helped put downward pressure on prices throughout the economy. Now…we’re going to see higher energy prices have exactly the opposite effect and put upward pressure on prices throughout the economy.”
Antoni is the latest high-profile MAGA figure to criticize Trump’s multibillion-dollar war in the Middle East. The bombing prompted Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz—the narrow shipping lane through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil passes—sending oil and gas prices soaring.
Antoni was tapped last year to replace former BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, whom Trump fired after claiming the agency had “rigged” a hugely disappointing jobs report in July 2025.
However, the White House withdrew Antoni’s nomination in September 2025 amid scrutiny over the Project 2025 architect’s suitability for the role. That included allegations he operated a social media account that posted sexually degrading attacks on former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Antoni was also spotted among the crowd outside the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack in 2021, though he did not enter the building or participate in the riot. He also has no issue proudly showing off a large painting of Adolf Hitler’s favorite World War II German battleship, the Bismarck, during media appearances.
Elsewhere in the interview, Antoni suggested weak U.S. job growth could partly be blamed on the Trump administration’s firing of thousands of federal workers as part of cost-cutting measures.
He also renewed his attacks on the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which he previously accused, without evidence, of releasing biased jobs data.
“You need a complete and total top-down review of everything from the data collection to the data processing and even the data dissemination, because there have been a few issues with leaks,” he said.
Antoni declined to discuss Trump’s decision to withdraw his nomination to lead the BLS, saying he would “rather keep those conversations confidential.” His replacement, Brett Matsumoto, is still pending confirmation by the Senate.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
