WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that he is nominating the government economist Brett Matsumoto to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, after having previously accused the federal agency of releasing low monthly jobs numbers in order to make him look bad.
There is no evidence that the Bureau of Labor Statistics sought to undermine Trump with its data releases, but a string of revisions to prior reports this summer showed that the job market weakened after Trump returned to White House and he fired its director in August.
The president has maintained that the BLS is a troubled agency that had been led by “WEAK and STUPID people,” according to a Friday night social media post.
But Trump said that Matsumoto would “Quickly fix” any issues with the agency. Matsumoto has worked as a supervisory research economist at BLS and has been serving as a senior economist for the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
“Brett Matsumoto is a Brilliant, Reputable, and Trusted Economist who will restore GREATNESS to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,” Trump said on Truth Social.
The president had initially picked E.J. Antoni, the chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank to lead the BLS. But the White House withdrew the nomination in September as Antoni faced sharp criticisms about his qualifications. NBC News also reported that Antoni was in the crowd outside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
Trump had the previous BLS commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, fired after the July jobs report was released in August. That jobs report showed that just 73,000 jobs were added last month and that 258,000 fewer jobs were created in May and June than previously estimated. The July figure has since been revised downward to 72,000.
The BLS also releases an array of economic reports, including the consumer price index that covers inflation.
The Wall Street Journal first reported Matsumoto's selection by Trump.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has approved a massive new series of arms sales to Israel totaling $6.67 billion and to Saudi Arabia worth $9 billion.
The State Department announced the sales to America's allies in the Middle East late Friday as tensions rise in the region over the possibility of U.S. military strikes on Iran. They were made public after the department notified Congress of its approval of the sales earlier Friday.
The sales also come as President Donald Trump pushes ahead with his ceasefire plan for Gaza that is intended to end the Israel-Hamas conflict and reconstruct the Palestinian territory after two years of war left it devastated, with tens of thousands dead.
While the ceasefire has largely held, big challenges await in its next phases, including the deployment of an international security force to supervise the deal and the difficult process of disarming Hamas.
The Saudi sale is for 730 Patriot missiles and related equipment that “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a Major non-NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf Region,” the department said.
“This enhanced capability will protect land forces of Saudi Arabia, the United States, and local allies and will significantly improve Saudi Arabia’s contribution" to the integrated air and missile defense system in the region, it said.
It was announced after Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman met with top Trump administration officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The sales to Israel are split into four separate packages, including one for 30 Apache attack helicopters and related equipment and weapons, with another for 3,250 light tactical vehicles.
The Apache helicopters, which will be equipped with rocket launchers and advanced targeting gear, are the biggest part of the total package, coming to $3.8 billion, according to the State Department.
The next largest portion is the light tactical vehicles, which will be used to move personnel and logistics “to extend lines of communication” for the Israel Defense Forces and will cost $1.98 billion, it said.
Israel will spend an additional $740 million on power packs for armored personnel carriers it has had in service since 2008, the department said. The remaining $150 million will be spent on a small but unreported number of light utility helicopters to complement similar equipment it already has, it said.
In separate but nearly identical statements on Israel, the State Department said none of the new sales would affect the military balance in the region and that all of them would “enhance Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats by improving its ability to defend Israel’s borders, vital infrastructure, and population centers.”
“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” the statements said.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacts during the funeral of Israeli hostage Ran Gvili, whose remains were brought back to Israel, in the southern town of Meitar on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026.(Chaim Goldberg/Pool Photo via AP)
