Republicans Rebuke Trump Over Firing of Top Labor Statistics Official

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the USA

---

Image Source: Edward Helmore/ The Guardian

A wave of criticism has erupted from senior Republican lawmakers after former President Donald Trump abruptly fired Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), following the release of a disappointing jobs report.

The latest data revealed that the U.S. economy added only 73,000 jobs in July significantly below expectations while revisions to previous months showed 258,000 fewer jobs than initially reported. Combined with declining consumer spending and sluggish economic output, the report signaled a broader economic slowdown.

Trump, who is running for re-election, dismissed McEntarfer hours after the report was made public, claiming on Truth Social that the figures were “RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad.” He insisted the economy is “BOOMING” under his leadership, offering no evidence for his allegations.

The move sparked backlash not only from Democrats but also from several high-profile Republicans.

“If the president is firing the statistician because he doesn’t like the numbers but they are accurate, then that’s a problem,” said Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY). “It’s not the statistician’s fault if the numbers are correct but politically inconvenient.”

Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) was blunt: “If she was just fired because the president or whoever decided to fire the director just … because they didn’t like the numbers, they ought to grow up.”

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) added, “When the people providing the statistics are fired, it makes it much harder to make judgments that you know, the statistics won’t be politicized.”

Trump's decision has also drawn concern from economists and former officials. William Beach, a former BLS commissioner appointed during Trump’s first term, called McEntarfer’s firing “totally groundless” and warned it sets a “dangerous precedent.”

Beach also co-signed a statement from the “Friends of the Bureau of Labor Statistics,” condemning the dismissal as politically motivated and harmful to the credibility of federal economic data. “U.S. official statistics are the gold standard globally,” the statement read. “Politicizing economic data undermines public trust in all government science.”

Democrats joined in the criticism, with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) labeling the move “the sign of an authoritarian type.” He added, “It will make it harder for the American people to believe the information that comes out of the government.”

Paul Schroeder, executive director of the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics, said Trump’s accusations were “damaging and outrageous,” and warned that the firing could have long-term consequences. “This action is a grave error by the administration,” he said.

McEntarfer was confirmed as BLS commissioner in January 2024 under President Joe Biden. Her ousting has reignited concerns over political interference in federal data collection an area traditionally safeguarded from partisan influence.

As the 2026 presidential election looms, Trump’s critics say the firing may be an attempt to discredit unfavorable statistics rather than address deeper economic issues.