Post-Truth America: Weak Job Numbers, so Trump Fires BLS Head
Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2025 7:53 pm
Who didn’t see this coming. Some bad economic numbers came in today. Rather than dealing with it like a world leader, Trump is firing the head of the agency that delivered the bad news news. Trump will hire somebody who will tell Trump what he wants to hear, America’s credibility will continue to decline, and business will turn to other sources to hear the truth.
This can't be good for the economy.
What a banana republic.
Live Updates: After a Weak Jobs Report, Trump Says He’s Firing That Agency’s Commissioner
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/07/31 ... =url-share
Hours after data showed cracks in the U.S. economy, President Trump implied that Erika McEntarfer manipulated the data for political reasons. He didn’t offer any evidence to support his claim.
Hours after disappointing jobs data reflected cracks in the U.S. economy, President Trump said Friday that he planned to fire the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, and implied on social media that she had manipulated the monthly data for political reasons.
Mr. Trump offered no evidence to support his claim. He and his top aides have made a habit of attacking government agencies, researchers and watchdogs when they have produced findings that the president personally does not like. That has led to concerns that he could seek to interfere with the operations of the bureau and other statistical agencies, particularly if the economy begins to take a turn for the worse.
Shortly after the president post, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the Labor secretary, echoed Mr. Trump’s concerns about Dr. McEntarfer on social media and said that William Wiatrowski, the deputy commissioner, would serve as acting commissioner during the search for Dr. McEntarfer’s replacement.
According to the data released early Friday, U.S. employers added 73,000 jobs in July, less than economists expected, and the unemployment rate rose slightly. The report on also significantly revised down the data on hiring from May and June by a combined 258,000 jobs, suggesting the labor market was under greater strain than initially believed. That moved the bond market in particular, with U.S. Treasury yields falling sharply as investors anticipated that the Federal Reserve could be more willing to cut interest rates to bolster a flagging economy.
Financial markets were also rattled as investors grappled with the implications: Stocks fell and the dollar dropped against other major currencies.
The jobs data offered only the latest indication that Mr. Trump’s policies — particularly his global trade war, which the president expanded on Thursday — had started to put the squeeze on the economy. Other economic data released this week offered fresh evidence that Mr. Trump’s duties had slowed trade and started to send prices higher.
This can't be good for the economy.
What a banana republic.
Live Updates: After a Weak Jobs Report, Trump Says He’s Firing That Agency’s Commissioner
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/07/31 ... =url-share
Hours after data showed cracks in the U.S. economy, President Trump implied that Erika McEntarfer manipulated the data for political reasons. He didn’t offer any evidence to support his claim.
Hours after disappointing jobs data reflected cracks in the U.S. economy, President Trump said Friday that he planned to fire the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, and implied on social media that she had manipulated the monthly data for political reasons.
Mr. Trump offered no evidence to support his claim. He and his top aides have made a habit of attacking government agencies, researchers and watchdogs when they have produced findings that the president personally does not like. That has led to concerns that he could seek to interfere with the operations of the bureau and other statistical agencies, particularly if the economy begins to take a turn for the worse.
Shortly after the president post, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the Labor secretary, echoed Mr. Trump’s concerns about Dr. McEntarfer on social media and said that William Wiatrowski, the deputy commissioner, would serve as acting commissioner during the search for Dr. McEntarfer’s replacement.
According to the data released early Friday, U.S. employers added 73,000 jobs in July, less than economists expected, and the unemployment rate rose slightly. The report on also significantly revised down the data on hiring from May and June by a combined 258,000 jobs, suggesting the labor market was under greater strain than initially believed. That moved the bond market in particular, with U.S. Treasury yields falling sharply as investors anticipated that the Federal Reserve could be more willing to cut interest rates to bolster a flagging economy.
Financial markets were also rattled as investors grappled with the implications: Stocks fell and the dollar dropped against other major currencies.
The jobs data offered only the latest indication that Mr. Trump’s policies — particularly his global trade war, which the president expanded on Thursday — had started to put the squeeze on the economy. Other economic data released this week offered fresh evidence that Mr. Trump’s duties had slowed trade and started to send prices higher.