Trump Allies Defend Firing of BLS Commissioner Amid Controversial Jobs Report

President Donald Trump’s allies are actively attempting to justify his decision to dismiss Erika McEntarfer, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), following her release of a disappointing jobs report. The report revealed only 73,000 new jobs in July—significantly below expectations—and revised previous months downward by 258,000 jobs. Trump dismissed these figures as fraudulent and announced her firing, despite her confirmation through bipartisan support in 2024. Officials from his administration argued that her removal was a strategic move aimed at restoring trust in economic data rather than a reaction to the report. Kevin Hassett, Director of the National Economic Council and a potential candidate for Federal Reserve Chair, suggested the revisions cast doubt on the reliability of BLS data and accused the timing of the revisions of political sabotage. Similarly, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer emphasized the importance of dependable statistics, noting that significant revisions are concerning. Trump continued to criticize McEntarfer on social media, alleging that she manipulated data to favor Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and altered figures a...