Senator Lisa Murkowski stated she would not vote in favor of the nomination of EJ Antoni for Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner.
Posted by Platypus Economics with Justin Wolfers, Checked
- Sources
- 4 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 50%
Platypus Economics with Justin WolfersAug 28, 2026
Sources show Murkowski voiced 'extreme reservations' about Antoni, called his past comments disqualifying, and declined to meet him, but none records her saying she would not vote for his nomination. The claim's specific vote statement, which the post attributes to her, is therefore not confirmed, though the sources support her opposition in spirit.
What was said
… wanted to put a partisan hack who literally wouldn't have been able to be employed as an entry level person within that organization, probably had applied and been rejected as a younger fella. Trump persisted. Eventually, Liz that's a Senate confirmed job. Eventually, Lisa McKowski, the Senator from Alaska, sort of said, "Hey, man, this is nonsense. I'm not voting in favor of it," and Trump quietly withdrew the nomination. So, what mattered there is Senate confirmation and a less partisan Senator, McKowski. So, not one of the foaming at the mouth "I will do whatever the President says" types. She's one of the small number who's independently minded. …
Platypus Economics with Justin Wolfers · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Murkowski said she had 'extreme reservations' about Antoni and that some of his comments were 'disqualifying,' while noting her vote could block the nomination in committee.[3][4]
Supports. CNN reported that Murkowski and Susan Collins declined to meet with Antoni, and CNBC reported she remained concerned about the nomination on the day it was withdrawn.[5][6]
Context. The White House withdrew the nomination on September 30, 2025; the reporting attributes the concerns to several Republicans, and does not tie the withdrawal to a stated vote from Murkowski.[1][2]
Context. The claim's explicit wording that she said she was 'not voting in favor of it' does not appear in any provided source, and the post itself is the claimant's own words and cannot corroborate it.
Sources
6 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 4 not rated
- 1White House withdraws Antoni's nomination as next head of Bureau of Labor Statistics, CNN reportsreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2Trump pulls nominee to lead Bureau of Labor Statisticsapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 3Republican Senator Has ‘Extreme’ Concerns on Trump BLS Pick (1)news.bloombergtax.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4Key Republican Senator Has 'Extreme' Concerns on Trump BLS Pick. | Women's Studies and Feminism | Bloomberg.com | EBSCO Researchebsco.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5White House withdraws Trump's controversial nominee to lead BLS ...keyt.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6www.cnbc.com · 2025/10/01 · white-house-withdrawsWhite House withdraws Antoni's nomination to lead Bureau of ...cnbc.com · not rated · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
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