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August 1, 2025

Trump fires statistics chief after weak jobs report

CNBC
CNN
NBC News
NBC News
MS NOW
+4

Economic data integrity collapses as president attacks job statistics agency

Trump fired Dr. Erika McEntarfer hours after weak Jul. jobs report

Only 73,000 jobs added with significant downward revisions to previous months

Trump accused McEntarfer of manipulating numbers "for political purposes" without evidence

Claimed data was "rigged" to make him look bad

McEntarfer was Senate-confirmed Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner

Former BLS commissioner William Beach called firing "totally groundless"

Firing prompted bipartisan criticism in Washington

πŸ”EthicsπŸ›οΈGovernmentπŸ’°EconomyπŸ“°Media Literacy

People, bills, and sources

Dr. Erika McEntarfer

BLS Commissioner

Donald Trump

Donald Trump

President of the United States

William Beach

Former BLS Commissioner

What you can do

1

Support independent statistical agencies through contacting Congress

2

Monitor economic data from multiple sources to verify accuracy

3

Join organizations defending government data integrity

4

Track political interference in statistical agencies

5

Support legislation protecting career civil servants from political firing

6

Follow independent economic analysis from academic institutions