On Friday, Donald Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Erika McEntarfer, following the release of a report on the weak employment situation in the United States during the month of July.
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Employment growth in the United States slowed dramatically in July, with the creation of just 73,000 jobs, which is 31,000 less than what economists had predicted, according to data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a part of the Department of Labor.
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In turn, the unemployment rate rose from 4.1% to 4.2% compared to June.
The job growth in May and June was revised downward by a combined 258,000 jobs, reported the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which described the adjustment as "larger than normal."
Trump accuses manipulation without providing evidence
“I have just been informed that our country’s ‘employment figures’ are being prepared by a person appointed by (Joe) Biden, who falsified the figures before the elections to try to increase Kamala (Harris)’s chances of winning,” said the President of the United States through his profile on Truth Social, without providing evidence for these accusations.
That’s why he ordered that “this person politically appointed by Biden be fired immediately”, claiming that Americans “need accurate employment figures.” The dismissal was finalized on Friday afternoon, as reported by NBC News.
“It will be replaced by someone much more competent and qualified. Important figures like this must be fair and accurate, they cannot be manipulated for political purposes,” was the argument of Trump, who has insisted that his global tariff war has generated growth in the United States.
The Deputy Director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bill Wiatrowski, who assumed the position during the administration of Barack Obama, will become the acting director “during the search for a replacement,” said Labor Secretary Lori Chávez-DeRemer.
Democrats compare Trump to a dictator
According to statements gathered by The Associated Press, Democratic senators expressed immediate rejection following the dismissal of the director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, arguing that this action reflects authoritarian behavior on the part of former President Donald Trump. The removal raised concerns within the Democratic bloc, which interprets it as an attempt to silence technical voices when the numbers do not align with his narrative.
During a Senate intervention, the minority leader, Chuck Schumer, strongly criticized Trump for what he considers a recurring pattern: “Donald Trump sometimes admires dictators. Well, sometimes he acts exactly like them. It’s classic Donald Trump. When he receives news he doesn’t like, he shoots the messenger.”
Other Democratic lawmakers reinforced the message by pointing out that the decision to fire McEntarfer reflects a refusal to accept the country’s economic reality. Senator Ron Wyden, who chairs the Finance Committee, described the act as a sign of weakness on Trump’s part. “This is the act of someone weak, fragile, and afraid to face the reality of the damage that his chaos is causing to our economy,” said the senator from Oregon.
The numbers that Trump cannot seem to handle are those of the US stock market, which this Friday had its worst day since May due to the slowdown in jobs and the trade war unleashed by Trump against most of his trading partners.
The S&P 500 fell by 1.6%, its biggest drop since May 21 and its fourth consecutive loss. The index also recorded a weekly decline of 2.4%, marking an abrupt turnaround after the previous week’s record-breaking gains. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones dropped by 1.2%.