Trump Fires Top Jobs Official After Bleak Report Shows Major Downward Revisions

The latest U.S. jobs report just rocked Washington—not only because of weak numbers but because President Donald Trump swiftly fired the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) after it was released.

The July report showed just 73,000 new jobs added to the economy, a disappointing figure. But the real shock came from revisions to May and June’s numbers—258,000 fewer jobs than originally reported. That big correction painted a far bleaker picture of the labor market than the White House wanted.

Trump, furious with the report, accused BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer of manipulating the numbers. On Truth Social, he called her a “Biden appointee” and said the “Jobs Numbers were RIGGED.” Hours later, he announced her firing:
“We need accurate Jobs Numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified. Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes.”

Experts, however, pushed back. Max Stier, CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, told NBC News:
“President Trump is once again destroying the credibility of our government by firing expert and nonpartisan officials because he does not like the facts that they present.”

For now, the jobs report stands. Unemployment sits at 4.2%. Healthcare and social assistance are still growing, manufacturing and construction are flat, and government employment continues to slide.

The fight doesn’t stop with the BLS. Trump also blasted Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, writing that Powell should be put “out to pasture” if he doesn’t cut interest rates soon. Powell, however, told reporters he isn’t ready to move, citing concerns about inflation and uncertainty over tariffs.

“If you move too soon, you wind up maybe not getting inflation all the way fixed… If you move too late, you might do unnecessary damage to the labor market,” Powell said.

Investors still expect rate cuts, but Powell isn’t giving Trump the timeline he wants. And with job numbers slipping, the political pressure is only getting hotter.