Trump knifed by fellow Republicans over recent firing as he plans revenge on 'rigged' jobs data
This, the former New Jersey governor claims, is why Trump fired Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer after a non-flattering jobs report last week.
Trump slammed McEntarfer, an appointee of President Joe Biden, in a Friday Truth Social post claiming she 'manipulated' figures to fit a political agenda and called for her ouster.
It came after the BLS monthly jobs report for July came out and showed it yielding a below-expectations-number of just 73,000 jobs.
Trump says it is 'fake' and went on a social media tirade against McEntarfer and the Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for not bowing to his pressure to lower rates.
'When [Trump] gets news he doesn't like, he needs someone to blame because he won't take the responsibility himself,' Christie told CNN on Sunday. 'And this is the action of a petulant child. Like, you give me bad news, I fire the messenger.'
Other Republicans and Trump allies are not happy that the president's ire was taken out on McEntarfer.
Republican Sen. Cyndia Lummis of Wyoming said if the numbers are accurate and she was still fired: 'That's a problem.'
'These are turbulent times and we've created some of the turbulence, and so it should be expected that there would be some ups-and-downs associated with job market,' Lummis admitted to reporters on Capitol Hill.
North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said Trump and those who decided to fire McEntarfer 'ought to grow up.'
Trump-appointed BLS Commissioner William Beach said it's not the fault of the commissioner if jobs are initially reported incorrectly, and on X he called her firing 'groundless.'
'The commissioner doesn't do anything to collect the numbers. The commissioner doesn't see the numbers until Wednesday before they're published,' Beach told CNN on Sunday. 'By the time the commissioner sees the numbers, they're all prepared.'
In a post on Sunday, Trump accused McEntarfer of intentionally over-reporting job growth before the 2024 presidential election. He claimed that McEntarfer overstated job growth by 818,000 for the year ending March 2024 and by 112,000 in August and September of last year.
The president insists the more positive reporting was done intentionally to boost Vice President Kamala Harris' chances of winning in the 2024 election.
It's standard procedure for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to issue revisions due to lags and complexities of gathering job numbers reports from more than 600,000 businesses. The adjustments are made to reflect more accurate figures once they are available.
Former officials, including Beach, have stated revisions are routine and not an inherent indication of manipulation.
'These were records — No one can be that wrong?' Trump posted to Truth Social on Friday. 'We need accurate jobs numbers.'
'She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified. Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can't be manipulated for political purposes,' he continued.
But Beach warned that Trump has 'undermined credibility' and that no one he appoints to lead BLS will be trusted.
'Suppose that they get a new commissioner and this person, male or female, are just the best people possible. And they do a bad number. Well, everybody's going to think, well, it's not as bad as it probably really is because they're going to suspect political influence,' Beach explained.
U.S. hiring growth dropped dramatically last month and unemployment ticked up, the latest jobs report released on Friday showed.
Non-farm payrolls added 73,000 in July, more than 25 percent lower than the 100,000 expected by analysts. The unemployment rate also ticked up to 4.2 percent.
The report also sharply revised down the figures for May and June by a combined 258,000 jobs from the previously released figures.
Following the revision June's total was left at just 14,000 and May's at 19,000 — effectively flat. Analysts say July's figure is also likely to be revised lower, possibly into negative territory.
The latest figures suggest cracks are in fact starting to show up in the economy, despite a slew of previous better-than-expected economic data released recently.
It comes after the Federal Reserve once again held rates steady at its July meeting on Wednesday.
The weaker figures could incentivize the Fed to lower interest rates at its next meeting in September, something Trump has been pleading for during most of his second term.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell has consistently declined to heed Trump's calls as he continues to monitor possible inflation from tariffs.
'Higher tariffs have begun to show through more clearly to prices of some goods, but their overall effects on economic activity and inflation remain to be seen,' Powell told reporters, noting that inflation could be short-lived or more persistent.
According to her LinkedIn bio, McEntarfer previously served as an economist at the Census Bureau and at the Treasury Department, as well as working as a senior economist at the Council of Economic Advisors for a year during the Biden administration.
Her bio statement is a dry statement filled with economics lingo. 'My research is focused on labor market dynamics and interactions between firms and workers in the economy and has been published in the Journal of Labor Economics, American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, and the Journal of Economic Perspectives,' she writes.
'I have spent over 20 years as a professional economist working on issues related to economic measurement and innovations in workforce data,' she states.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Epstein victim condemns ‘political warfare' in Trump administration's effort to release grand jury transcripts
A victim of Jeffrey Epstein has condemned what they called the Trump administration's 'political warfare' in its handling of government files on the late convicted sex offender as the Justice Department pushes for the release of grand jury transcripts in his New York federal case. Epstein was a wealthy financier who died in a New York City jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for federal sex trafficking charges. He had been accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls. About a decade earlier, Epstein pleaded guilty to Florida state charges of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution. Early last month, the DOJ and FBI came out with a memo stating there was no so-called client list of powerful people who may have partaken in Epstein's crimes; it also said Epstein did, in fact, die by suicide, and 'no further disclosure [of information regarding Epstein] would be appropriate or warranted.' The memo sparked backlash, notably from Trump's own base, as it left many unanswered questions and concerns the government may be covering up materials that would be of interest to the public. Trump then asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to 'produce any and all pertinent' grand jury testimony from the investigations into Epstein, 'subject to Court approval,' citing the 'ridiculous amount of publicity' over them. A Florida judge quickly denied the DOJ's request but the feds' bid in New York is still being considered. Victims in the New York case were asked to respond to the DOJ's request and two of them did so in court documents filed Monday. Both were unnamed as is their right to remain anonymous. One Epstein survivor wrote to District Judge Richard Berman, 'Dear United States, I wish you would have handled and would handle the whole 'Epstein Files' with more respect towards and for the victims. I am not some pawn in your political warfare.' 'What you have done and continue to do is eating at me day after day as you help to perpetuate this story indefinitely. Why not be completely transparent? Show us all the files with only the necessary redactions! Be done with it and allow me/us to heal,' the victim said. In the letter to the judge the victim also seemingly called out the Trump administration for what they said was its protection of the wealthy over Epstein's victims. 'You protect yourself and your powerful and wealthy 'friends' (not enemies) over the victims, why? The victims know the truth, we know who are in the files and now so do you,' the victim said. It's unclear who exactly the victim was referring to, but Trump's decades-old relationship with Epstein has recently been scrutinized, and there have been reports the president was told his name appears in the Epstein files. Trump reportedly cut ties with Epstein before his 2008 plea deal and appearing in the files does not mean there was any wrongdoing. Trump himself has denied any wrongdoing. The victim asked Berman to have the attorneys of the victims review any suggested redactions if the transcripts are released. The Independent has reached out to the White House and DOJ for comment. Another victim told Berman: 'The latest attention on the 'Epstein Files', the 'Client List' is OUT OF CONTROL and the ones that are left to suffer are not the high-profile individuals, IT IS THE VICTIMS. Why the lack of concern in handling such sensitive information for the victims sake?' That survivor also called out the feds for what they saw as protecting 'wealthy men.' 'I feel like the DOJ's and FBI's priority is protecting the 'third-party', the wealthy men by focusing on scrubbing their names off the files of which the victims, 'know who they are,'' they said. The victim asked Berman to consider a third-party review of any documents that may be released ' to ensure that NO victims names or likenesses are revealed.'
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Police Scotland overtime bill hits £85,000 per day
The figures show that £28.15 million was spent on overtime for officers in 2024/25, as well as an additional £3.4 million for other police staff. It is a combined 10% rise on the previous year but has dropped from 2022/23 when there was a major policing operation following the death of the Queen. There are growing concerns about this year's bill after President Donald Trump's recent visit to Scotland as well as the demands of events such as the sold-out Oasis run at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. SPF general secretary David Kennedy said: 'As demand on policing continues to increase – whether through major events, public safety operations, or everyday calls for service – there simply are not enough officers to meet the workload within normal working hours. 'The reality is that overtime is no longer a contingency – it has become a necessity to maintain even the most basic levels of public safety. This is unsustainable, both financially and in terms of officer wellbeing. 'Officers are regularly being asked to sacrifice their rest days, family time, and personal health to plug gaps caused by years of underinvestment in policing. 'We cannot continue to rely on a shrinking workforce to deliver a growing remit. 'The rising cost of overtime is not a budget management issue – it is a symptom of a wider crisis in police numbers that must be addressed urgently through meaningful investment in recruitment, retention, and support for serving officers.' The data was obtained by 1919 through a FOI request and showed that £42,689,162 was spent on officers' overtime in 2022/23 – the year the Queen died – falling to £25,305,080 a year later and rising again to £28,150,447 in the most recent financial year. Read More On top of that, overtime paid to staff totalled £11.24m and periods of sickness, maternity leave and annual leave not included. Scottish Labour justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill told 1919: 'These eyewatering figures lay bare the immense pressure Police Scotland is under. 'Police officer numbers have collapsed over recent years and big events have piled pressure onto remaining officers. 'There is no evidence that the Scottish Government is taking any serious steps to address this, therefore this is likely to continue. 'Increasing reliance on overtime is costing Police Scotland thousands of pounds a day and exhausting police officers. 'Police officers cannot keep being forced to go above and beyond to paper over the cracks of SNP failure – the [[SNP]] must work with Police Scotland to ensure it has the officers it needs to keep our communities safe.' Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur added: '[[SNP]] ministers pushed through the creation of a single national force with the promise of significant cost savings which could be invested elsewhere in the service. 'Instead we have seen falling officer numbers, police counters closing and officers run ragged. 'The cases that officers are being called to attend are increasingly complex and time consuming. 'One solution we have proposed to provide mental health workers to work alongside the police and help people in need. 'Officers should not be asked to work beyond their limits day after day. 'After so many years of worsening conditions, it will be hard work for the Justice Secretary to win back trust and convince officers she is in their corner.' While recruitment and deployment are operational matters for the chief constable, a Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'We are investing a record £1.64 billion for policing this year, and our continued investment enabled Police Scotland to take on more recruits in the last financial year than at any time since 2013, with further intakes planned throughout 2025. 'Scotland continues to have more police officers per capita than England and Wales and recorded crime has fallen by more than half since 1991.'
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
US reverses pledge to link disaster funds to Israel boycott stance
WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Monday reversed course on requiring U.S. cities and states to rebuke boycotts of Israeli companies in order to receive disaster funds, according to a statement, and deleted the earlier policy from its website. The Department of Homeland Security removed its statement, opens new tab that said states must certify they will not sever 'commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies' to qualify for the funding. Reuters reported on Monday that the language applied to at least $1.9 billion that states rely on to cover search-and-rescue equipment, emergency manager salaries and backup power systems, among other expenses, according to 11 agency grant notices reviewed by Reuters. This is a shift for the administration of President Donald Trump, which has previously tried to penalize institutions that don't align with its views on Israel or antisemitism. The disaster funding requirement took aim at the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement designed to put economic pressure on Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories. The campaign's supporters grew more vocal in 2023, after Hamas attacked southern Israel and Israel invaded Gaza in response. "FEMA grants remain governed by existing law and policy and not political litmus tests," said DHS Spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin in a statement on Monday afternoon. DHS oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA in grant notices posted on Friday said states must follow its "terms and conditions" to qualify for disaster preparation funding. Those conditions required that they not support what the agency called a "discriminatory prohibited boycott," a term defined as refusing to deal with "companies doing business in or with Israel." The new terms, opens new tab, posted later on Monday, do not include that language.
