Labor secretary hails Trump move to fire BLS chief

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer praised President Trump's decision to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) after the Friday release of the July jobs report.

In a statement on social media, Chavez-DeRemer hailed Trump's decision to fire BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer after the agency, which is housed in the Labor Department, released a stunningly bad jobs report earlier Friday.

"I agree wholeheartedly with @POTUS that our jobs numbers must be fair, accurate, and never manipulated for political purposes," Chavez-DeRemer wrote without offering any evidence to support Trump's claim.

"A recent string of major revisions have come to light and raised concerns about decisions being made by the Biden-appointed Labor Commissioner," she continued. "I support the President’s decision to replace Biden’s Commissioner and ensure the American People can trust the important and influential data coming from BLS."

While McEntarfer was appointed by former President Biden to lead the BLS, she had previously served for more than 20 years in the federal government in administrations led by both Democrats and Republicans.

Former BLS Commissioner William Beech, who was appointed by Trump and served from 2019-2023, strongly condemned the firing of his successor.

"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," Beech wrote, sharing a statement of concern from other BLS veterans.

Trump's move to fire McEntarfer triggered outrage among economists and analysts across the ideological spectrum.

"Erika McEntarfer has devoted her career to public service. She has conducted herself as BLS Commissioner with great integrity. There is no evidence whatsoever that BLS data are politically biased," Michael R. Strain, director of economic policy studies at the conservative American Enterprise Insitute, wrote on social media.

"By incorrectly asserting that the data are biased, President Trump is undermining the integrity of the information that policymakers, businesses, households, and investors use to make important decisions that affect the welfare of the nation," he continued.

"It is imperative that decisionmakers understand that government statistics are unbiased and of the highest quality. By casting doubt on that, the President is damaging the United States," Strain wrote.