Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics after weak job data, accusing her of rigging numbers. Experts criticized the move, saying it harms trust in official statistics.
nvn news
Sat Aug 02 2025
US President Donald Trump has fired Erika McEntarfer, head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), after a jobs report showed only 73,000 new jobs in July. Trump accused her, without evidence, of rigging the data to make him and the Republicans look bad, BBC reported.
The move triggered a sharp drop in stock markets and drew backlash from economists and politicians, who warned that firing a top official over unfavourable data undermines public trust and resembles authoritarian behaviour. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers said such actions damage faith in official statistics.
The BLS also revised May and June job numbers downward by 250,000, further raising concerns. Economists, including Navy Federal’s Heather Long, blamed Trump’s tariff policies for the labor market slowdown.
Despite criticism, Trump defended his decision, saying he wants people he can “trust.” The Labor Department announced Deputy Commissioner William Wiatrowski will temporarily replace McEntarfer.
Trump continues to push tariffs ranging from 10% to 50%, claiming they’ll help US industry, but experts warn they’re harming small businesses and increasing economic uncertainty. Critics say the firing of McEntarfer threatens the integrity of the US economic data system.
No comments yet
