“You can’t really make the numbers different or better by firing the people doing the counting.” — Sen. Rand Paul
President Donald Trump is facing rare criticism from within the Republican Party after firing Erika McEntarfer, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), over disappointing job figures.
Trump announced McEntarfer’s dismissal on Friday, claiming she was a “Biden political appointee” who “rigged” the data to hurt his administration—despite her bipartisan Senate confirmation in 2024.
The July BLS report showed only 73,000 new jobs were created, far below the expected 110,000, with sharp downward revisions to May and June numbers. Stocks fell sharply following the release.
“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.
“He ought to grow up,” added Senator Thom Tillis.
Senator Rand Paul also voiced concern over the politicisation of government statistics, warning, “You can’t really make the numbers better by firing the people doing the counting.”
McEntarfer has been replaced by acting commissioner William Wiatrowski.