The Daily Signal From Biden Bust to America First Boom: The Data Is In | E.J. Antoni, Ph.D.
Feb 20, 2026
E.J. Antoni, chief economist at The Heritage Foundation, offers data-driven takes on employment and fiscal trends. He discusses private-sector job rebounds, large federal workforce cuts, native-born employment gains, inflation cooling and housing affordability shifts. He also reviews deficit reductions and policy levers like tariffs and spending cuts.
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Private Sector Rebound Under Trump
- E.J. Antoni argues Trump reversed Biden-era private-sector stagnation by boosting private payrolls and cutting government jobs.
- The private sector added 172,000 jobs in January while government employment fell by 42,000, signaling a shift back to private hiring.
State Reopening Delays Affected Job Numbers
- Antoni recounts how some states delayed reopening to collect more federal unemployment dollars, worsening job recovery.
- He uses this example to explain why private-sector payroll growth slowed after the initial COVID rebound.
Jobs Flip To Native-Born Workers
- Antoni highlights an 'America First' employment shift as native-born employment rose while foreign-born employment fell.
- He reports native-born employment rose by 840,000 in Trump's first year while foreign-born jobs declined.