Trump Orders Firing Of Biden-Appointed Official Over Faulty Jobs Data
On Friday, President Donald Trump declared that he had ordered the dismissal of the official appointed by Biden who was in charge of compiling the nation’s monthly employment reports. He accused her of exaggerating job growth during the previous administration to assist Vice President Kamala Harris while minimizing the gains made during his current administration.
“I was just informed that the ‘Jobs Numbers’ for our country are being generated by a Biden appointee, Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the Commissioner of Labor Statistics, who manipulated the Jobs Numbers prior to the Election to enhance Kamala’s chances of winning,” Trump stated on Truth Social.
“This is the same Bureau of Labor Statistics that inflated the Jobs Growth in March 2024 by around 818,000 and again, just before the 2024 Presidential Election, in August and September, by 112,000. These figures are unprecedented — how can anyone be that inaccurate? We require precise Jobs Numbers.”
“I have instructed my team to terminate this Biden political appointee IMMEDIATELY. She will be succeeded by someone who is far more capable and qualified. Critical statistics like these must be impartial and accurate; they cannot be manipulated for political gain,” Trump continued.
“McEntarfer reported that only 73,000 Jobs were added (a surprise!) but, more crucially, that a significant error was made by them, with a downward revision of 258,000 Jobs in the previous two months. Similar discrepancies occurred in the early part of the year, consistently reflecting negatively,” he wrote.
Trump also criticized the Federal Reserve, alleging that it was trying to influence the 2024 election.
“The economy is thriving under ‘TRUMP’ despite the Federal Reserve engaging in manipulative practices, particularly with interest rates, which they have reduced significantly on two occasions just prior to the Presidential Election, presumably to facilitate the election of ‘Kamala’ – How did that strategy pan out?” he remarked. “Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell ought to be retired. I appreciate your attention to this issue!”
Trump informed reporters on Friday evening that he has “consistently had concerns regarding these figures.”
“I was reflecting on this earlier today, prior to the release of the latest figures. I wondered, ‘Who is responsible for compiling these statistics?’ Then they provided me with data from before the election,” Trump stated. “We require individuals we can rely on.”
During his initial presidential campaign in 2016, Trump asserted that the unemployment rate was significantly higher than the figures reported by the BLS. In 2024, he accused the Biden administration of concealing economic frailty, referencing the BLS’s own acknowledgment of having overestimated job counts over a twelve-month span, as reported by CNN.
Trump and his administration have also commended the BLS when its reports were favorable to them. In March 2017, then-White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer declared that the jobs data was no longer “fabricated” following a robust report.
Just last month, the current Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took to social media to celebrate that Trump’s economy had exceeded expectations in four consecutive labor reports.
Nevertheless, certain economists criticized the president’s choice to dismiss McEntarfer.
“It is unacceptable for any government official to challenge the integrity of the BLS,” remarked Jason Furman, a Harvard professor and former economic adviser to Obama. “Reliable statistics are vital for the economy.”
Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, stated that the BLS upholds “the highest standard” of data quality, asserting that its reports are “as accurate as possible.”
“Any action that jeopardizes that standard or even the perception of such a high standard is extremely concerning,” Zandi commented. “I have never encountered anything remotely similar to this.”
Conversely, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer expressed her support for the president’s decision.
“A recent series of significant revisions have emerged, raising concerns regarding the decisions made by the Labor Commissioner appointed by Biden,” Chavez-DeRemer stated in a post on X. “I endorse the President’s decision to replace Biden’s Commissioner to ensure that the American public can have confidence in the crucial and influential data provided by the BLS.”