Senator Padilla Calls for Investigation into Trump's Dismissal of BLS Official Amid Economic Data Controversy

Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) has called for a bipartisan investigation into President Donald Trump's decision to dismiss the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). During an interview on NBC's Meet the Press, Padilla emphasized the need to examine the circumstances surrounding the firing of BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, who was dismissed two days prior after the agency released employment data indicating only 73,000 new jobs in July and revisions for previous months. Trump alleged that McEntarfer, a Biden appointee, fabricated the employment figures. Padilla criticized the Trump administration for allegedly politicizing federal agencies, particularly the BLS, and expressed concern over the administration's claims about the economy. He highlighted ongoing inflation concerns despite Trump's promises to lower prices and pointed to recent tariffs, which Yale Budget Lab estimates could reduce American household incomes by approximately $2,400 annually by increasing costs for imported goods. The firing has garnered bipartisan criticism, with former BLS Commissioner Bill Beach stating that the agency's reporting process makes fabrication impossible. The White House defended t...