Trump fires statistics official after US posts weak job numbers
US President Donald Trump dismissed Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), on Friday, claiming that the latest employment figures had been rigged against him. The dismissal followed weaker-than-expected July hiring numbers and significant downward revisions for May and June.
Trump alleged in a Truth Social post that the employment figures issued this week had been deliberately manipulated to harm him politically, describing them as "RIGGED" to make Republicans and himself "look bad.""I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY," Trump posted later on Friday, asserting McEntarfer, would be replaced by someone "much more competent and qualified."
A BLS spokesperson confirmed that McEntarfer "was terminated," and Deputy Commissioner William Wiatrowski will take over on an acting basis.
July jobs report showed just 73,000 jobs added, with revisions revealing 258,000 fewer jobs overall in May and June. The unemployment rate rose slightly, to 4.2%.
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer supported Trump's decision to replace McEntarfer, emphasizing the importance of making sure "the American People can trust" BLS data. Republican Senator Roger Marshall, who had previously questioned McEntarfer's job statistics, also praised the move. Marshall stated on X that her "cooked-up numbers have misled the American people for too long."
Economists, however, expressed concern about the firing, with Arin Dube warning on X that it "threatens to destroy trust in core American institutions and all government statistics."
A bipartisan group, including former BLS commissioners William Beach, appointed by Trump, and Erica Groshen, named to the post by former President Barack Obama, condemned McEntarfer's firing. The rationale "undermines the credibility of federal economic statistics," they said in a statement.
Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer also criticized Trump's decision: "What does a bad leader do when they get bad news? Shoot the messenger."
The monthly jobs report significantly impacts financial markets, which fell about 1.5% following the announcement. Trump hasn't always been skeptical of these reports-when May data was first released in June showing 139,000 jobs added, he posted: "GREAT JOB NUMBERS, STOCK MARKET UP BIG!" That figure was later revised down to 125,000, then sharply, to just 19,000.
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