U.S. President Donald Trump on the 1st (local time) answering questions from reporters at the White House in Washington, D.C.,
, ‘Criticism is pouring from within the Republican Party after President Donald Trump dismissed Erica McEnterfer, Director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), following the announcement of July employment figures. Experts are also concerned that this move could undermine trust in the overall U.S. statistics system. Previously, President Trump fired Director McEnterfer on the 1st (local time) after economic indicators showed that the U.S. job market had significantly contracted over the past three months, claiming ‘manipulation of numbers.’,
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, ‘Wyoming Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis told reporters, “If the numbers are inaccurate, they should be explained to the public, but it’s not advisable to fire someone so hastily.” North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis also bluntly criticized President Trump, stating, “If he fired her because he didn’t like the numbers, it’s time to grow up.” Kentucky Senator Rand Paul said in an interview with NBC News, “If you dismiss the people responsible for statistics, where will you find reliable, objective data?” warning that “Such actions will only intensify the politicization of data.”’,
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, ‘The Bureau of Labor Statistics, though under the Department of Labor, is designed to be an independent organization free from political influence. There is growing concern that this dismissal will inevitably cause significant damage to the neutrality and data reliability of the organization.’,
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, ‘The “Friends of BLS,” a group of former and current Labor Bureau directors, issued a statement directly criticizing the President’s action. They stated, “The director only announces the results shown by the data, not decides the figures,” and explained, “The processes of the Bureau of Labor Statistics are intentionally distributed to prevent political interference.” They continued, “This dismissal is an unfounded political attack, representing an unprecedented assault on the independence and credibility of the federal statistical system,” warning that “politicizing economic statistics will lead to a collapse of public trust.”’,
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, ‘Experts also issued warnings. William Beach, who led the “Friends of BLS” and served as Labor Statistics Director during Trump’s first term, pointed out that this dismissal is “completely unfounded and a dangerous precedent threatening the mission of statistical agencies.” Paul Schroeder, Secretary-General of the federal statistical expert organization “Association of Federal Statistical Specialists,” said, “The President’s claims are very harmful and absurd” and warned that “This action will undermine the integrity and politicize federal statistics, causing serious long-term repercussions.” Economist Michael Strain, who worked with Director McEnterfer at the Bureau of Census, criticized in the Washington Post, “It’s crucial for companies, households, and investors to believe that official government statistics are accurate and unbiased, but the President has politicized the Bureau of Labor Statistics and official statistics.”’,
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, ‘Former Director McEnterfer was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate with a vote of 86 to 8 last year. Current Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who were Republican Senators at the time, also voted in favor.’,
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, ‘Experts noted that the substantial downward revision of employment growth in May-June that President Trump took issue with is a common occurrence. Initial employment reports are focused on large companies that respond quickly, with subsequent responses from smaller companies often leading to downward adjustments of the total figure.’,
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, ‘The Washington Post analyzed that actual employment is declining sharply. Craig Batori, who runs a coffee shop in Detroit, told the Washington Post that he has completely halted hiring plans and business expansion due to tariffs. He said, “There is a 50% tax on Brazilian coffee beans,” adding, “I’ve redirected funds from employee bonuses and product development budgets to purchase beans.” Kevin Chapin, who operates a violin shop in Connecticut, said his business is suffering due to a decrease in foreign student customers as a result of the Trump administration’s immigration policies.’,
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, ‘Washington/Kim Won-chul, Special Correspondent’,
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