"If the president fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics simply because he didn't like the numbers, even if they were accurate, that's a problem. It's not the statistician's fault if the numbers are accurate and don't meet the president's expectations," Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming said on 2/8.

Lummis was referring to President Trump's dismissal of Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a day earlier. The move came after the independent agency released a report showing the US economy added only 73,000 jobs in July, far below expectations, and significantly revised down job growth figures for the previous two months.

President Trump alleged that the BLS had manipulated the employment data to make him and the Republican party "look bad," adding that the US economy was actually growing strongly under his presidency. He offered no evidence for the allegation.

President Trump at the White House on 1/8. Photo: AFP

President Trump at the White House on 1/8. Photo: AFP

Senator Lummis said the public has a right to know if the data is unreliable, but called McEntarfer's dismissal "somewhat hasty."

"If she was fired simply because the president, or whoever made that decision, didn't like the numbers, they need to grow up," said Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky questioned whether dismissing McEntarfer was an effective way to improve the figures.

"We have to find objective data somewhere," he said. "When the person delivering the data is fired, it's hard to believe the numbers released afterward aren't politicized."

William Beach, whom Trump appointed to head the BLS during his first term, called the decision to fire McEntarfer "completely unfounded." He said it would set a dangerous precedent and affect the BLS's mission.

McEntarfer in a photo posted on 1/8. Photo: WSJ

McEntarfer in a photo posted on 1/8. Photo: WSJ

Democrats also criticized President Trump's decision. Senator Bernie Sanders called it a "sign of authoritarianism," adding that the move would make Americans less likely to trust information released by the government.

Paul Schroeder, executive director of the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics, described President Trump's accusations against McEntarfer as "very damaging."

"It not only undermines the transparency of federal economic statistics but also politicizes data that needs to be independent and reliable. This is a mistake by the administration and will have consequences for years to come," he said.

Pham Giang (Guardian)