U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to appoint an “exceptional replacement” for the recently dismissed Commissioner of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, following the release of a jobs report that fell short of expectations and triggered immediate backlash from the White House.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump doubled down on claims that the July employment report had been “rigged” to undercut his administration’s economic achievements — a claim he made without presenting evidence.
The report, published Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), revealed that the U.S. added just 73,000 jobs in July and that unemployment had risen to 4.2%. Even more striking were the sharp downward revisions to May and June job growth figures — reduced from 144,000 to 19,000 and from 147,000 to 14,000, respectively. These are among the weakest hiring numbers since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hours after the report’s release, Trump reportedly ordered the dismissal of McEntarfer, who had been confirmed to the role in January 2024.
“We had no confidence. I mean, the numbers were ridiculous,” Trump told reporters on Sunday. He accused McEntarfer of previously producing “phenomenal” numbers under former President Joe Biden’s administration, especially in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett, while defending the dismissal, acknowledged Monday that the job market was showing signs of cooling. Speaking on CNBC, he claimed the recent slowdown was not indicative of the long-term impact of Trump’s newly enacted tax and spending legislation.
Hassett also told NBC News over the weekend: “The president wants his own people there so that when we see the numbers, they are more transparent and more reliable.”
However, the move has drawn swift criticism from former officials and economic experts. William Beach, McEntarfer’s predecessor, described her removal as setting a “dangerous precedent.” The National Association for Business Economics also condemned the firing, arguing that recent data fluctuations were due to budgetary constraints at federal statistical agencies — not data manipulation.
International voices have also weighed in. German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil stressed the need to preserve the independence of key institutions. “It is right that independent institutions remain independent and that politics do not interfere with them,” he said Monday.
Trump has hinted that McEntarfer’s replacement will be named within days. He is also expected to announce a successor to Federal Reserve Governor Adriana Kugler, who resigned earlier than expected, creating another vacancy for Trump to fill amid his ongoing push for lower interest rates.
