Statisticians blast Trump over BLS firing: 'Dangerous precedent'

Source: The Hill

08/02/25 10:24 AM ET


Statisticians railed against President Trump on Friday following his decision to fire Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) commissioner Erika McEntarfer for “inaccuracies” and “incompetence” after presenting a low job growth report for the month of July. Former BLS chief William Beach slammed the “totally groundless” rebuke alongside the Friends of BLS, an organization that advocates on behalf of the agency which he co-chairs.

“The totally groundless firing of Dr. Erika McEntarfer, my successor as Commissioner of Labor Statistics at BLS, sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the statistical mission of the Bureau,” Beach wrote in a Friday post on the social media platform X. The Friday job report from the agency lowered May and June job growth numbers by the initial 258,000 positions reported.

The organization also published a strongly worded statement condemning the shift in leadership at BLS, denying Trump’s accusations that McEntarfer deliberately reported “fake” numbers to tarnish his administration’s standing.

“This baseless, damaging claim undermines the valuable work and dedication of BLS staff who produce the reports each month,” a Friday statement on the organization’s website reads. “This escalates the President’s unprecedented attacks on the independence and integrity of the federal statistical system. The President seeks to blame someone for unwelcome economic news,” they added. “The Commissioner does not determine what the numbers are but simply reports on what the data show.”

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5433583-trump-bls-firing-precedent-controversy/