Donald Trump has sparked intense backlash, including from members of his own party, after his sudden decision to fire Erika McEntarfer. McEntarfer was the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This move came right after the release of a July jobs report that revealed a much weaker economy than expected, with only 73,000 jobs added.
Trump, clearly unhappy with the numbers, publicly accused McEntarfer, who was appointed by the previous administration, of distorting the data for political reasons, both now and ahead of the 2024 election. According to Rolling Stone, he believed the numbers had been intentionally changed for political gain, a serious accusation against a nonpartisan agency.
