Criticism is mounting after President Trump moved to oust the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Friday following a dismal jobs report.
Trump accused BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer, an appointee of former President Biden, of skewing job numbers in the latest report, which showed the U.S. adding only 73,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate increasing slightly.
Revisions in the report also showed that the U.S. added 258,000 fewer jobs in May and June than the Labor Department first reported, according to BLS data.
"In my opinion, today’s Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad," he wrote on Truth Social. Later, he called for McEntarfer's ouster, which sparked some backlash on Capitol Hill.
"Instead of helping people get good jobs, Donald Trump just fired the statistician who reported bad jobs data that the wanna-be king doesn't like," Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) posted on social platform X.
The gloomy jobs report raised serious questions about the strength of the U.S. economy, especially in light of Trump's sweeping tariffs, which have caused anxieties in the global market.
Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) called the president's response "deeply irresponsible."
"Firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics because they accurately report on your struggling economy isn't just corrupt, it's deeply irresponsible," she wrote online. "Undermining our economic data is only going to create further chaos and uncertainty for our businesses big and small."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) also turned the tables back on Trump in a semi-mocking post on X.
"BREAKING: I did some research into Trump’s Deep State and found this photo of the real government employee responsible for the job loss numbers," Schumer wrote Friday, sharing a photo of the president himself. "Trump must fire him immediately."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) reacted with an equally biting post, offering her version of the timeline.
She wrote on X, "Step one: Trump tanks the economy. Step two: Data shows that Trump is tanking the economy. Step three: Trump fires the person who puts out economic data so that in the future, no one will know he’s still tanking the economy."
Sen. Tammy Baldwin also weighed in, writing on social media that "Donald Trump has thrown our economy into chaos and is firing the messenger for telling us."
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) also took a swing at the president for his reaction, calling it "one more step toward authoritarianism."
"Truth being replaced by propaganda. This is what the Soviets did. This is a big deal, and we need to act like it," Murphy wrote on X, alongside a video message. "Time for a fight."
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) pressed her GOP colleagues to denounce Trump's firing of the top statistician.
"It is seriously dangerous territory when Trump fires anyone who doesn't cook the books for him. The entire economy hinges on the accurate, nonpartisan data we get from the Bureau of Labor Statistics," she wrote online. "Republicans need to join us in fighting to protect the integrity of BLS."
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who is retiring at the end of his term, placed blame for the dismal report on Trump's trade agenda. The comment came as the latest iteration of "reciprocal" tariffs on dozens of countries was set to go into effect Friday.
"President Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics because he didn’t like that the jobs report was weak—a direct result of his chaotic trade wars," he wrote. "Utterly reckless, and a chilling reminder of his autocratic tendencies."
Despite the criticism, Trump's allies have largely stood behind his decision to sack McEntarfer, who has served in the post since 2023. The president also accused the BLS chief of fabricating jobs numbers ahead of the 2024 presidential election to "boost" former Vice President Harris's chances of winning.
A BLS spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to The Hill that McEntarfer was let go. Deputy commissioner William Wiatrowski is set to serve as acting head until the administration finds a replacement.
Source: The Hill - News
