President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the firing of Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer just hours after a disappointing jobs report, accusing her—without evidence—of manipulating employment data for political purposes.
Trump Blasts Jobs Report, Alleges Political Bias
In a post on Truth Social, Trump called the July jobs data "rigged" and directed his administration to terminate McEntarfer, who was confirmed with bipartisan Senate support earlier this year.
"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," he said.
"We need accurate Jobs Numbers," Trump wrote. "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."
See Also: Economists Flip To Trump's Side After Jobs Data–And Jerome Powell Is Now In Trouble
BLS Report Shows Sharp Slowdown In Hiring
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that the U.S. economy added just 73,000 jobs in July—far below expectations—and revised May and June job gains downward by more than 200,000.
McEntarfer Replaced By Acting Chief As Critics Warn Of Damage
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said Deputy Commissioner Bill Wiatrowski will serve as acting head of BLS.
An administration official confirmed that McEntarfer had been dismissed shortly after the data was released, reported NBC News.
The firing sparked alarm in Washington. Max Stier, CEO of the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, said, "President Trump is once again destroying the credibility of our government by firing expert and nonpartisan officials because he does not like the facts that they present," the report added.
Julie Su, former Labor Secretary under Joe Biden, defended McEntarfer, saying BLS career staff "do their jobs with care and pride" and "have also been attacked and vilified by this president," the report noted
McEntarfer was a longtime civil servant with previous roles at the Census Bureau and Treasury Department and had been confirmed in January with an 86–8 vote.
Vice President JD Vance, who supported her confirmation, now backs Trump's decision. "President Trump has the right to hire and fire the people he wants," said Vance's spokesperson, the report added.
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