Trump Fires US Labor Stats Chief Challenges Jobs Data Accuracy

President Donald Trump has fired Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer following disappointing July jobs data and downward revisions to previous months, which he alleges were purposely manipulated to favor his predecessor, Joe Biden. Trump and economist Stephen Moore presented alternative, unverified employment figures in a surprise Oval Office briefing, challenging the credibility of the official reports and asserting inflation-adjusted household incomes have risen under his administration. Critics and experts warn that this move risks politicizing vital economic statistics and undermining trust in government data, with concerns about potential White House influence leading to censorship or reengineering of statistics. Former BLS Commissioner Erica Groshen emphasized that manipulating such data would require extensive changes and provoke whistleblowing, calling Trump's firing decision "disastrous" for the statistical system. While some economists argue the complexity of job data makes manipulation unlikely, the controversy itself is causing uncertainty in markets and public confidence. The Trump administration denies tampering and frames the action as a push for greater transparency in economic reporting.