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The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump's nominee for Bureau of Labor Statistics was Jan 6 ‘bystander' outside Capitol, says White House
Donald Trump 's pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics was a 'bystander' outside the Capitol as the Jan. 6 insurrection unfolded, according to the White House. The president on Monday nominated Dr. E.J. Antoni to lead the BLS after firing the agency's commissioner earlier this month, accusing her of manipulating jobs data. In recent days, videos have emerged of the 37-year-old economist from the right-wing Heritage Foundation think tank among a mob of Trump supporters who swarmed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Antoni is not believed to be among those who entered the building, and the video does not show him crossing barricades or demonstrating. The footage places Antoni at the Capitol about an hour after rioters tore down police barricades, as other insurrectionists poured onto its grounds. In U.S. Capitol Police surveillance video unearthed by NBC News, Antoni was spotted outside the Capitol building among a sea of supporters waving 'Stop the Steal' and 'Trump 2020' flags. In the clip, Antoni is seen walking away from the crowd on the building's west side as chants of 'USA' ring out and tear gas plumes in the background. Far-right radio host Alex Jones can be heard speaking over a megaphone. Other footage shows Antoni at the Capitol's east side, walking away from the building, according to NBC News. The video was initially released by the GOP-led House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight and archived from the social media website Parler. A White House official told NBC News Wednesday that Antoni was in Washington, D.C. for in-person meetings with his then employer, which, according to his LinkedIn profile, was the conservative think tank, the Committee to Unleash Prosperity. 'These pictures show EJ Antoni, a bystander to the events of January 6th, observing and then leaving the Capitol area,' White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told the broadcaster in an email statement. He added it was 'wrong and defamatory to suggest EJ engaged in anything inappropriate or illegal.' While Antoni has not been accused of any wrongdoing, more than 1,500 rioters were charged with crimes connected to the attack on the Capitol building. On his first day back in office on January 20, Trump granted clemency to almost all of the defendants. Trump announced his intentions to install Antoni as BLS commissioner after removing Erika McEntarfer, whom he accused of using 'phony' numbers in the July jobs report that showed private companies adding just 73,000 positions, below projections. Under Antoni's stewardship, Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday that the numbers released would be 'HONEST and ACCURATE.' Antoni, who will face Senate confirmation, wrote on X last week that the bureau, part of the Labor Department, needed to revise its methods to 'rebuild the trust that has been lost over the last several years.' However, his nomination has intensified fears among critics that Trump wants a partisan supporter at the helm of a bureau to manipulate data to support his policies. Antoni was a contributor to the group's Project 2025, a controversial blueprint document outlining many of the moves the Trump administration has taken in office.
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Zelensky's warning as he is sidelined for Trump-Putin summit
Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Donald Trump and European leaders that Vladimir Putin is 'bluffing' about ending the war and rejected any territorial concessions without Ukraine's involvement, ahead of a crucial US-Russia summit. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz convened virtual meetings with Zelensky, Trump, and Emmanuel Macron to ensure European and Ukrainian interests are represented before the meeting in Alaska. Key principles conveyed to Trump included Ukraine's mandatory presence at future talks, a ceasefire preceding negotiations, and no recognition of Russian-occupied territories. A report suggested Russia and the US discussed using the Israeli occupation of the West Bank as a model for a future settlement, involving Russia seizing military and economic control of disputed Ukrainian regions. Sir Keir Starmer stated that a viable chance for a ceasefire exists, but stressed that international borders must not be changed by force and any peace deal requires a robust security guarantee for Ukraine.
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Watch live: Starmer welcomes Zelensky to Downing Street ahead of Trump-Putin meeting
Watch live as Sir Keir Starmer welcomes Volodymyr Zelensky to 10 Downing Street on Thursday, 14 August, a day before Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are due to meet. The UK prime minister's meeting with the Ukrainian president comes after he vowed that Britain will 'increase pressure' on Russia if necessary. Meanwhile, the US president has threatened Russia with 'severe consequences' if Russia rejects a ceasefire. Sir Keir joined a call with the US president and European allies on Wednesday, praising Mr Trump for his efforts to advance a 'viable' chance of an end to the conflict. Concerns have been raised over the exclusion of Mr Zelensky in the meeting between Mr Trump and Putin; the Ukrainian leader has reiterated that there can be no talk of territorial concessions without his country's involvement. Mr Trump said that if his meeting with the Russian leader goes well, he would like to have a quick second meeting with Putin and Mr Zelensky. Mr Zelensky has warned Donald Trump and European leaders that Putin is 'bluffing' over his intentions to end the war. Sir Keir said ahead of the Friday meeting: 'As I've said personally to President Trump for the three-and-a-bit years this conflict has been going on, we haven't got anywhere near a prospect of actually a viable solution, a viable way of bringing it to a ceasefire. 'And now we do have that chance, because of the work that the president has put in.'
