Trump Fires Labor Stats Chief After Rigged Jobs Claims

President Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), accusing the agency of rigging job market data to make the economy appear weaker under his administration and stronger under President Biden's. Trump alleged that revisions to the jobs numbers were politically motivated, claiming significant downward adjustments were a "total scam" to make Republicans and himself look bad. Vice President JD Vance and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer dismissed these allegations, emphasizing positive job trends such as gains in construction and healthcare, and highlighting the administration's economic policies, despite the BLS report showing notably weak job growth. Chavez-DeRemer expressed agreement with Trump on the importance of accurate data but supported McEntarfer's dismissal, while critics warned that firing the BLS commissioner over routine data revisions undermines trust in government statistics. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer condemned Trump's actions as authoritarian and counterproductive, noting that the BLS commissioner was confirmed with bipartisan support and that job losses are tied to broader economic policies under Trump. Economists pointed out that revisions to employment data are common and occur under multiple administrations, including both Trump’s and Biden’s.