After Donald Trump ordered the firing of a federal government official in charge of labor statistics, experts and opposition politicians have expressed alarm that the “credibility” of US economic data was at risk.
The US president claimed without evidence that Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of labor statistics, had “rigged” job numbers “in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad”, after data showed jobs growth stalled this summer, prompting accusations that the president was “firing the messenger”.
Bill Beach, a former Heritage Foundation economist who was picked by Trump in 2018 to oversee labor statistics, denounced what he called the “totally groundless firing”.
“Politicizing economic statistics is a self-defeating act,” said Michael Madowitz, the principal economist at the Roosevelt Institute’s Roosevelt Forward, who added that “credibility is far easier to lose than rebuild, and the credibility of America’s economic data is the foundation on which we’ve built the strongest economy in the world”.
Senate Democrat Ron Wyden said “this is the act of somebody who is soft, weak and afraid to own up to the reality of the damage his chaos is inflicting on our economy”.
The move came as markets around the world were roiled by Trump’s latest tariff announcement, which left more than 60 countries scrambling to secure trade deals.
Here are the key US politics stories of the day:
Trump orders firing of jobs report official after hiring slows
Donald Trump ordered the firing of the federal government official in charge of labor statistics, hours after data revealed jobs growth stalled this summer, prompting accusations that he was “firing the messenger”.
The US president claimed that Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of labor statistics, had “faked” employment figures in the run-up to last year’s election in an effort to boost Kamala Harris’s chances of victory.
Trump later claimed: “Today’s Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad.”
He produced no evidence for these allegations and insisted that the US economy was, in fact, “BOOMING” on his watch.
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Trump moves nuclear submarines after ex-Russia leader’s menacing tweet
Donald Trump has said that he deployed nuclear-capable submarines to the “appropriate regions” in response to a threatening tweet by Russia’s former president Dmitry Medvedev, suggesting that he would be ready to launch a nuclear strike as tensions rise over the war in Ukraine.
In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump wrote that he had decided to reposition the nuclear submarines because of “highly provocative statements” by Medvedev, noting he was now the deputy chair of Russia’s security council.
Medvedev had earlier said that Trump’s threats to sanction Russia and a recent ultimatum were “a threat and a step towards war”.
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Dozens of countries scramble to cope with latest tariffs
Donald Trump unleashed global chaos with sweeping new tariff rates, triggering a wave of market jitters and fears for jobs in some of the poorest countries, as rates were signed off ranging from 10% to 50%.
There was a minor reprieve that opened the door to further negotiations, after the White House said the updated tariffs would take effect on 7 August, not on Friday, the deadline previously set by Trump.
Trump steps up attacks on Fed’s independence amid interest rates row
Donald Trump called on top Federal Reserve officials to seize control from its chair, Jerome Powell, if he fails to cut interest rates, stepping up his extraordinary attacks on the central bank’s independence.
The US president called Powell “a stubborn MORON” in a series of critical social media posts on Friday, days after the Fed held rates steady for the fifth consecutive time.
Americans blame Trump for high cost of living, says poll
Americans are struggling financially, grappling with debt and the rising cost of living, and are blaming the Trump administration and corporate interests for worsening economic outlooks for working families, according to a new poll.
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Climate report a ‘farce’ full of misinformation, scientists say
A new Trump administration report that attempts to justify a mass rollback of environmental regulations is chock-full of climate misinformation, experts say.
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What else happened today:
Catching up? Here’s what happened 31 July 2025.
