Trump ordered the firing of U.S. Secretary of Labor Statistics, Erica Mantelfer, and denounced her without evidence to manipulate work figures.
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WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has said he ordered the firing of U.S. Secretary of Labor Statistics, Erica Mantelfer.
On August 1, Trump announced the move in a post on social media app Truth Social, writing that “we are informed that our country’s “employment numbers” are being produced by Biden’s appointee, Dr. Erika McEntarfer.”
“We need accurate work numbers. I have told the team to fire this Biden political appointee right away. She will be replaced by someone more capable and qualified,” Trump said. “These important figures must be fair and accurate. They cannot be manipulated for political purposes.”
The Senate confirmed Mantelfer, the appointment of former President Joe Biden, in January 2024. Labor economist McEntarfer has worked for the federal government for 20 years, including previous stints at the US Census Bureau and the Treasury Department.
In addition to the release of the July employment report on Friday, this was far below the estimated 105,000 new jobs, but the increase in employment at the Labor Bureau in May and June increased by 258,000, portraying a labor market that is far weaker than they believed in spring and early summer.
“McEntarfer has only added 73,000 jobs (shocking!), but more importantly, over the past two months, 258,000 jobs have occurred,” Trump said. “The same thing happened in the first part of the year. It’s always been negative.”
Trump also accused Mentarfer of “falsifying work numbers before the election (2024)” in support of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Trump pointed to robust employment reports in March, August and September 2024, which was later revised low.
Contribution: Paul Davidson of USA Today
Reach Joey Garrison with X @joeygarrison.
