Trump accuses: ‘Fake employment data, fire those who manipulated it’

The president accuses the Bureau of Labour Statistics of pre-election manipulation: ‘Numbers rigged to help Kamala’

WASHINGTON – Donald Trump is not holding back: once again, he accuses the previous administration of tampering, this time with key labour market data. The US president announced that he had ordered the immediate dismissal of Erika McEntarfer, the labour statistics commissioner appointed by Joe Biden, claiming that she had falsified employment data to influence the 2024 elections.

‘I have just been informed that employment data has been manipulated by a Biden appointee, Dr Erika McEntarfer,’ Trump wrote on social media, accusing her of ‘inflating job numbers before the election to try to increase Kamala Harris’ chances of winning.’

Accusations against the Bureau of Labour Statistics
The president’s sights are set directly on the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS), which Trump claims overestimated employment growth in March 2024 by more than 800,000 jobs and then, in August and September – just before the election – by another 112,000 jobs. ‘No one can be that wrong. We need accurate job numbers,’ he said.

Trump then announced that McEntarfer will be replaced ‘by someone much more competent and qualified,’ promising rigour and transparency in the production of economic statistics. The move, which smacks of a political purge, immediately sparked reactions in institutional circles, although there have been no official comments from the Department of Labour at this time.

Attacks on the Fed too
In his speech, Trump also took the opportunity to launch an attack on Jerome Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve: ‘Powell should be sent out to pasture,’ he thundered, in clear disagreement with the management of monetary policy.

All this comes just hours after the release of July employment data, which show a sharper-than-expected slowdown in job growth. Trump immediately interpreted this as evidence of previous manipulation: ‘The economy is booming under Trump,’ he concluded, arguing that only now, with him in the White House, do the figures reflect the ‘true strength of the country’.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)