August 20, 2025
Trump fires BLS commissioner, threatens statistical independence with Project 2025 loyalist
Political loyalists replace career economists to manipulate data
🔐Ethics💰Economy🔍Policy Analysis
President Trump fired Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on August 1, 2025, hours after jobs data showed slower growth than expected, falsely claiming she "faked" numbers for political purposes.
Trump nominated Heritage Foundation economist E.J. Antoni to replace her—a Project 2025 architect who previously suggested suspending monthly jobs reports and operated anonymous social media accounts with sexually degrading attacks on political figures.
Trump fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on August 1, 2025, hours after agency reported 73,000 jobs added in July and downward revisions totaling 258,000 fewer jobs for May and June combined
E.J. Antoni, Trump nominee to replace McEntarfer, is Project 2025 architect who suggested suspending monthly jobs reports and operated anonymous Twitter accounts with sexually degrading content about political figures
Foreign investors rely on U.S. economic data for $4.2 trillion in annual investment decisions—statistical manipulation threatens to trigger capital flight and currency crashes similar to Argentina under Cristina Fernández
Former Trump-appointed BLS Commissioner William Beach called manipulation claims baseless, explaining commissioners dont see numbers until Wednesday before Friday release and cannot influence data collection
Federal agencies provide economic statistics used by businesses for $23 trillion in annual hiring, pricing, and investment decisions—corrupted data means systematic economic chaos through business miscalculation
BLS data revisions are routine improvements based on additional employer reports, not manipulation—68% of surveyed businesses respond initially, with remaining 32% providing data over three months
U.S. official statistics serve as gold standard globally, with international banks stopping trading 10 minutes before BLS releases to prepare for American economic data
Census manipulation affects $1.5 trillion in federal spending allocation and congressional redistricting for next decade, giving presidents power to reward allies and punish enemies through fake population counts
🔐Ethics💰Economy🔍Policy Analysis
People, bills, and sources
Donald Trump
President of the United States
Erika McEntarfer
Former BLS Commissioner
E.J. Antoni
Heritage Foundation Economist and Trump BLS Nominee
William Beach
Former Trump-appointed BLS Commissioner
Kevin Hassett
National Economic Council Director
What You Can Do
1
Call senators at 202-224-3121 immediately to oppose Antoni's confirmation and support S.1401 protecting federal statistical independence from political interference
2
Contact American Statistical Association at info@amstat.org to join professional advocacy against political manipulation of economic data and census information
3
Diversify investments internationally through Vanguard or Fidelity platforms to protect against U.S. statistical manipulation affecting domestic markets and currency
4
Monitor independent economic sources like Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) and private research firms for verification when official data becomes unreliable
5
Join Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget at crfb.org advocating for honest government accounting and transparent economic reporting standards
6
Contact your state attorney general demanding they investigate false federal economic reporting that affects state budget planning and policy decisions