'Very problematic': Trump nominates longtime skeptic of BLS to head agency

BLS Nomination Controversy - The president's pick for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is considered a political appointment due to the nominee's conservative background and past contributions to Project 2025 [2][3] - Concerns arise because the BLS is traditionally a non-political agency providing unbiased economic data used by government and Wall Street [3][15] - The president has been a long-time critic of the BLS, mirroring the nominee's views [6][7] - Critics from both sides of the political spectrum question the nominee's qualifications and competence in economic statistics [11][12][14] Inflation and Economic Trends - The inflation rate is at 27%, showing signs of stagnation [19] - Core inflation, excluding food and energy, grew 31% [21] - Tariffs are contributing to rising prices in certain sectors, such as toys, furniture, tools, bananas, and coffee [20] - The trade war is impacting core goods inflation, making life more expensive for working Americans [23][24] - The Federal Reserve (Fed) is likely to cut interest rates in September due to sticky inflation and a softening job market [22][25]