Trump Fires Statistician for Accurate Jobs Report, Demands New Numbers That “Feel Nicer”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump has fired Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner Erika McEntarfer after she released an accurate jobs report on Friday that made him look bad.
“These job numbers are RIGGED—totally rigged,” Trump fumed on Truth Social. “I want new numbers, nicer numbers, numbers that aren’t out to get me.”
McEntarfer, appointed by Biden in 2023, is widely regarded as a neutral, by-the-book statistician. “Erika’s entire job was to present objective data,” said former commissioner William Beach, a Trump appointee. “Firing her for accuracy is like firing a thermometer for reporting the weather.”
Experts warn the firing could destroy trust in U.S. economic data, which drives markets worldwide. “If the president treats statistics like campaign ads, the entire foundation of policy-making collapses,” noted economist Arin Dube.
Trump closed out his rant by insisting the next report would finally reflect “correct” data by his definition:
“No one can be that wrong,” Trump posted. “We need numbers that are right. Numbers that are strong. Numbers that make me look good—not these horrible, politically motivated numbers we saw today. Very unfair—everybody agrees!!”