White House Defends Controversial Firing of BLS Commissioner Over Jobs Data Disputes

White House Maintains Controversial Claims of Manipulated Jobs Data Amid Criticism In the wake of President Donald Trump's dismissal of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) commissioner over disappointing employment figures, reactions across the political spectrum have grown increasingly divided. Several Republican senators expressed reservations about the firing, suggesting it was primarily driven by dissatisfaction with the recent weak jobs report, which Trump publicly accused of being manipulated without evidence. Democratic leaders, however, condemned the move as authoritarian and damaging to the credibility of official statistics. Trump quickly alleged that the revised employment data, indicating slower job growth in May and June, had been artificially altered—a claim dismissed by experts. Larry Summers, a former Treasury Secretary, emphasized that such data is meticulously compiled by large teams following strict protocols, making manipulation highly implausible. Similarly, William Beach, a former BLS commissioner appointed by Trump, stated that the numbers are generated automatically, and the commissioner’s role is limited to reviewing finalized data, warning that the firi...