Trump Fires Labor Statistics Chief Over Weak Jobs Reports

President Donald Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and a Biden appointee, following a weak jobs report that showed payrolls increased by only 73,000 in July and significant downward revisions for the prior two months. Trump accused McEntarfer of manipulating the data for political purposes, alleging without evidence that the numbers were rigged to make him and the Republican Party look bad. The firing drew criticism from former BLS officials and economists who defended the agency's integrity and warned that such actions undermine public trust in federal economic data. Vice President JD Vance and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer supported Trump's claims, highlighting shifts in employment data tied to immigration policies. The jobs report's disappointing figures and the firing have rattled financial markets, with concerns raised about the credibility of federal institutions amid political interference. McEntarfer's deputy, William Wiatrowski, was named acting head of the BLS as the administration seeks a replacement.