Trump Fires Top Stats Official to Earn comparison with Stalin

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Firing of Dr. Erika McEntarfer over low job growth numbers draws comparisons to Stalinist purges and sparks fears of political manipulation of US economic data

By TRH Global Affairs Desk

August 1, 2025 — US President Donald J. Trump triggered a political firestorm on Friday after ordering the immediate removal of Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the Biden-appointed Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), over what he called “manipulated” and “fake” job numbers.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused McEntarfer of overstating job growth under the Biden administration and of undermining his economic record. “I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote, adding that the BLS had made a “major mistake” by revising job figures 258,000 downward over the last two months.
“We need accurate Jobs Numbers… they can’t be manipulated for political purposes,” Trump asserted. A White House official confirmed to ABC News that Dr. McEntarfer had been dismissed following Trump’s directive, marking one of the most high-profile removals of a federal statistics official in modern US history.

Critics Warn of ‘Argentina-Style’ Statistical Collapse

Economists, statisticians, and democracy advocates swiftly condemned the move, calling it a dangerous precedent and comparing it to the authoritarian manipulation of state institutions.

Katrina vandenHeuvel, publisher of The Nation, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Stalin had a saying, ‘No person, no problem.’ Guess Trump thinks the same way.”

Brendan Duke, former policy advisor at the Center for American Progress, warned: “This could be a moment where the country goes down the Argentina path of faking economic statistics for political reasons. It is absolutely vital that everyone do what they can to prevent this from happening.”

Benjy Sarlin, political analyst at Semafor, commented wryly: “Can’t wait to buy more treasuries in the country purging its job statistics staff when they don’t show the leader’s economy is booming.”

Record Job Revisions, Tumbling Numbers

The controversy follows a deeply underwhelming Q2 jobs report, with just 73,000 jobs added in July (preliminary) and revised downward numbers for May and June by a combined 258,000—the steepest downward adjustment since 1979, barring COVID’s peak in April 2020.

Labor experts have emphasized that revisions are part of routine statistical adjustments based on expanded datasets. “These are not anomalies or conspiracies — they’re baked into how labor statistics are refined,” said a former BLS economist who requested anonymity.

This incident is stoking broader concerns about the integrity of data in a polarized political environment. The BLS, long viewed as a technocratic and nonpartisan body, could now face heightened scrutiny or political interference in how it gathers and reports data.

Trump’s team says McEntarfer will be replaced by “someone much more competent and qualified,” although no name has been officially announced. Sources say the Trump White House is considering several candidates who have publicly criticized “deep state data manipulation.”

Meanwhile, economists warn that investor confidence could be shaken by signs that the US may be heading down a path where economic reporting is no longer trusted — much like Argentina, Venezuela, or Turkey.