Trump Fires US Labor Statistics Chief Amid Jobs Data Revisions

President Donald Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), after a report showed the US added just 73,000 jobs in July and downward revisions reduced May and June job growth by 258,000, leading Trump to accuse her without evidence of manipulating data to make Republicans and himself look bad. The firing has sparked widespread criticism from economists, former government officials, and senior Republican lawmakers who warn that the move threatens the credibility and independence of federal economic statistics, with experts emphasizing that data revisions are routine and that it is impossible for a commissioner to rig the numbers. White House officials, including National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, defended Trump's decision, citing concerns over the accuracy of recent figures and calling for a "fresh set of eyes" at the BLS. Republicans such as Senators Cynthia Lummis and Thom Tillis expressed concern about firing the commissioner over unfavorable but accurate data, while others warned that politicizing economic data harms objectivity and public trust. The controversy comes amid broader economic uncertainty, including new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and slowing consumer spending, adding to market instability. The BLS stated that data revisions result from additional information received and seasonal recalculations, standard procedures in employment reporting.