Trump Fires Labor Statistics Chief After Weak Jobs Report

President Donald Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), following the release of disappointing job numbers that showed the U.S. economy added only 73,000 jobs in July, with significant downward revisions for May and June totaling 258,000 fewer jobs than initially reported. Trump alleged without evidence that McEntarfer manipulated the data for political reasons to make him and Republicans look bad. Economic experts and reporters, including CNBC's Steve Liesman, strongly refuted these claims, emphasizing that job data revisions are routine, difficult to politicize, and lack any evidence of manipulation. The firing has raised concerns about the credibility and independence of the BLS, a critical agency for economic data, as the president seeks to replace McEntarfer with someone whose data aligns with his preferences. Analysts linked the weak job growth to Trump's own trade policies, including tariffs, which have contributed to hiring slowdowns. The president's handling of the situation has drawn significant criticism and worry about politicizing essential economic statistics.