President Donald Trump’s team is under heavy criticism after abruptly firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — without providing any clear justification. Now, the administration is struggling to defend the move, while economists and lawmakers across the spectrum raise concerns.

📺 Hassett Dodges Questions on Live TV: “There Are Patterns” — But Which Ones?

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett attempted to explain the firing during a live interview on NBC News — but instead of facts, he offered vague references to "revisions" and "patterns" that he claimed were “concerning.” He failed to present any specific data or clear reasoning.

He repeatedly pointed to changes in recent labor reports as justification — without confirming whether the White House even asked the BLS director for clarification before removing her.

📉 Labor Market Numbers Disappoint — But No Sign of Misconduct

The employment report at the center of the controversy was released last Friday. It showed that nonfarm payrolls rose by 73,000 in July — better than June’s 14,000, but still below the Dow Jones forecast of 100,000. The real surprise came with downward revisions for May and June, totaling 258,000 fewer jobs than previously reported.

Hassett called the revisions a “historically significant anomaly” — but again, provided no evidence of wrongdoing.

🎯 “Trump Wants His Own People” Over Independent Experts

Rather than alleging fraud or misconduct, Hassett explained the firing by saying: “The president wants his own people in there.” He claimed a new director would make the numbers “clearer” — though he never explained what was unclear in the first place.

Critics argue Trump wasn’t upset about methodology — he was upset because the numbers were no longer favorable. The firing happened just as Trump was under pressure to produce positive economic headlines, and those headlines weren’t materializing.

⚠️ “Dangerous Precedent” – Former Officials Sound the Alarm

William Beach, former BLS commissioner appointed by Trump, condemned the move as “entirely unjustified.” In an interview with CNN, he warned it undermines trust in the agency’s independence: “If a new commissioner delivers weak numbers, nobody will believe them. Everyone will assume political interference.”

🏛️ Strong Reactions From Capitol Hill

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer didn’t hold back: “Mr. Trump, firing her won’t undo the chaos caused by your broken tariff regime.”

Even Senator Rand Paul, a Republican, expressed alarm on NBC News: “When people who produce objective statistics get fired, it becomes hard to trust that those statistics won’t be politicized.”

Senator Ron Wyden, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said the firing was the act of someone “too weak to face the truth about the economic damage he’s caused.” He added: “Bottom line — Trump wants to cook the books.”

📊 Bankers Join In: “The Current Data System Is Outdated”

Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan added his voice to the debate, saying on CBS News that the U.S. still uses outdated labor surveys and should upgrade its systems. He argued that modern technology could provide better employment data, saying: “We need to make the system more resilient, predictable, and understandable.”

Trump’s decision has ignited a wave of distrust, institutional concern, and serious questions about the independence of economic data. Critics agree: this wasn’t about data quality — it was about political pressure.


#USPolitics , #TRUMP , #economy , #USGovernment , #worldnews

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