Donald Trump has sparked strong criticism, including from within his own party, after abruptly dismissing Erika McEntarfer, the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This came shortly after the release of a July jobs report that showed a much weaker economy than anticipated, with just 73,000 jobs added.
Unhappy with the disappointing figures, Trump publicly accused McEntarfer — who was appointed by the previous administration — of manipulating the data for political reasons, both now and ahead of the 2024 election. According to Rolling Stone, he claimed the numbers were deliberately altered for political advantage, a serious charge against a traditionally nonpartisan agency.
The President stated, “In my opinion, today’s Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad — Just like when they had three great days around the 2024 Presidential Election, and then, those numbers were taken away on November 15, 2024, right after the Election, when the Jobs Numbers were massively revised DOWNWARD, making a correction of over 818,000 Jobs — A TOTAL SCAM. Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell is no better! But, the good news is, our Country is doing GREAT!”
Firing the Messenger Draws Criticism
The swift firing of McEntarfer drew criticism from notable Republicans. Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming expressed concern: “If the President is firing the statistician because he doesn’t like the numbers but they are accurate, then that’s a problem. It’s not the statistician’s fault if the numbers are accurate and that they’re not what the President had hoped for.”
Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina was even more direct, stating, “If she was just fired because the president or whoever decided to fire the director just … because they didn’t like the numbers, they ought to grow up.”
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky also weighed in, saying, “We have to look somewhere for objective statistics. When the people providing the statistics are fired, it makes it much harder to make judgments that you know, the statistics won’t be politicized.”
Trump, known for frequently firing officials while in office, even called for the removal of the Federal Reserve chair. However, this particular firing stands out. Outside the halls of Congress, William Beach — who led the BLS during Trump’s first term — voiced his disappointment online. He described McEntarfer’s dismissal as “completely unjustified” and warned it set a “dangerous precedent,” threatening the Bureau’s mission to provide reliable statistics. Beach’s viewpoint carries added weight since he served under the same administration now taking this controversial step.
Douglas Holtz-Eakin, head of the American Action Forum, a respected center-right think tank, also criticized the move. While acknowledging that the BLS has adjusted its data multiple times and had different leaders over the years, he pointed out that only one sitting President had ever fired a BLS commissioner. His remark, “You do the math,” clearly suggested that Trump’s action is both unusual and troubling, breaking with the tradition of keeping federal statistics free from political influence.
After her firing, Erika McEntarfer took to social media to reflect on her tenure as commissioner, calling it the honor of her life. She praised the critical and meaningful work done by the BLS, indirectly defending the agency’s integrity. Her composed response stood in stark contrast to the President’s angry accusations.
