Without evidence, Trump called the data "rigged" and implied that BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer manipulated the numbers "for political purposes."

President Donald Trump fired the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday after a new jobs report showed a major slowdown of hiring in recent months. In a social media post, Trump volleyed sharp criticism and baseless accusations at Erika McEntarfer, a Biden appointee who was confirmed by the Senate in 2024.

The data come after economists have expressed concern that the Trump Administration’s flip-flopping tariff policies and sweeping layoffs at federal agencies could slow economic growth. Some Democratic lawmakers slammed the Administration upon the release of the Labor Department’s report.