Trump has selected E.J. Antoni, chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, to be the next commissioner at the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Antoni's nomination was quickly met with a cascade of criticism from other economists, from across the political spectrum.

Data shows inflation held fairly steady in July, defying fears of a sharp tariff-driven spike in prices and good news for Trump.

A cynic is tempted to make much the same response about the latest inflation figures. Yes, they look better than expected. And they will make President Trump happy. But it’s also true that a mere 10 days after the head of the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics got fired for reporting numbers that the president didn’t like,