Heritage Foundation chief economist E.J. Antoni at the World Affairs Council of Palm Beach on Feb. 5, 2025

President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics, E.J. Antoni, has a massive image of Adolf Hitler’s favorite battleship on display in his office, The Daily Beast reported Wednesday.

His office displays the Bismarck, launched in 1939, which was celebrated at its unveiling by a speech from Adolf Hitler and hailed as the finest vessel in his Kriegsmarine. It was widely regarded as the most formidable, largest, and fastest battleship of its time. It famously sank the British ship Hood, leaving only three survivors, until the British sunk it in May 1941 in the North Atlantic.

The report noted that as chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, Antoni has conducted several on-camera appearances with a prominent image of the Nazi battleship Bismarck behind him.

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Antoni, tapped by Trump to oversee the agency responsible for pivotal economic data, has drawn criticism not only for his stances on data collection and Social Security but also for his unconventional choice of office decor.

Both Antoni’s podcast and television interviews feature him seated at a desk before a five-panel canvas picturing the Bismarck.

According to the report, an eBay listing appears to offer the exact same artwork, identified simply as the German battleship.

In its comments to the outlet, the White House defended him as a “history buff” whose office is “full of ‘artifacts’,” albeit with a typo in the name of one of World War II’s most iconic U.S. Navy vessels.

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“EJ is a history buff, as many Americans are, and has an appreciation for the significance of maritime history – his office is full of a variety of artifacts and artwork featuring US battleships and other famous vessels, including the USS New Jersey and the USS Misouri[sic], that have been used throughout major wars,” an unnamed White House official told the Daily Beast.

On Antoni’s desk sits a Pieta — a sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary cradling Jesus — and possibly a rosary.

The report further noted that his background at a Catholic seminary, where he went by the name Erwin Antoni, suggests he once had intentions of becoming a priest, though he was never ordained. He later started going by E.J.