Trump’s firing of BLS chief sparks jobs data credibility debate

Today’s monthly jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is the first since President Donald Trump fired the former BLS chief.

(CNN)- Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana says the country needs to “get to the truth” as concerns grow over the credibility of government data.

Today’s monthly jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is the first since President Donald Trump fired the former BLS chief. Trump accused her, without evidence, of worsening previous jobs numbers for political reasons. It remains unclear if the president will accept future reports if the results are not favorable. When asked if the data would remain credible, Trump responded, “We’re gonna have to see what the, the number—I don’t know.”

The commissioner’s termination has placed the BLS under new scrutiny. Ross Gerber of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management criticized the move, saying, “The idea that somebody might lose their job because of a bad number is a very, very poor way to manage the government.” Meanwhile, Stephen Miran, President Trump’s Federal Reserve governor nominee, argued that the agency’s data has “deteriorated in quality and reliability over the decades.”

The controversy comes as fallout continues from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s testimony before a Senate committee. Kennedy defended his decision to limit vaccine access and fire the CDC director, saying, “We are the sickest country in the world. That’s why we have to fire people at CDC.”

Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia condemned the approach, saying Kennedy’s belief that he knows better than scientists and doctors is “literally killing our people in real time.”