U.S. Public Opinion Condemns Trump’s Firing of Official

Undoubtedly, the nonfarm payroll data released on Friday was a significant blow to Trump, who has frequently boasted about the U.S. economy being "red-hot" and claimed that his tariff hikes and tax cuts would make it even stronger.

But one thing is clear: Trump cannot cherry-pick economic data, celebrating when it favors him while denouncing it as fake when it doesn’t. Such double standards—how can they ensure the credibility of future U.S. data?

It must be noted that while the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is appointed by the president, the BLS itself has long adhered to independence and nonpartisanship as its guiding principles. Economists and statisticians emphasize that this impartiality is crucial for public and market trust in the data, as trillions of dollars in transactions can hinge on these official figures at any given moment.

In January 2024, when McEntaffer’s nomination was confirmed by the Senate in an 86-to-8 vote, then-Senator and current Vice President Vance actually voted in favor…

On Friday, Trump’s order to fire McEntaffer prompted swift backlash, drawing criticism from numerous Democrats, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer.

McEntaffer’s predecessor, William Beach, who served as BLS Commissioner during Trump’s first term, also called the dismissal "completely unjustifiable" and warned it sets a "dangerous precedent."

Beach, co-chair of the advocacy group "Friends of BLS," issued a statement on Friday expressing "strong support for the BLS, Commissioner McEntaffer, and the hard-earned data they produce."
"Politicizing the work of this agency and its staff does immense harm not only to the BLS but to the entire federal statistical system this country has relied on for nearly 150 years."