Kristen Welker Questions Kevin Hassett About Firing of BLS Official Over Jobs Data Discrepancies

In a recent interview on Meet the Press, Kristen Welker challenged Kevin Hassett, Director of the National Economic Council, over President Donald Trump's recent dismissal of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) top official. The controversy arose after Trump dismissed Erika McEntarfer, the BLS commissioner, following the release of July's employment report indicating only 73,000 new jobs and downward revisions for May and June, which showed significantly fewer jobs added than initially reported. Trump claimed the data was inaccurate and accused McEntarfer of manipulating the numbers for political reasons. Welker highlighted that Trump previously praised the BLS data when it reflected positively on his administration, citing his statements from earlier months where he celebrated job creation numbers. She questioned Hassett about the possibility of the President firing officials over data discrepancies. Hassett clarified that the President values transparency and wants accurate reporting, emphasizing that revisions are part of the process and that there’s no intention to dismiss officials over data disagreements. When asked if there’s concrete evidence that the recent numbers are ...