Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer on Friday defended President Donald Trump's decision to fire the director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Trump on Friday removed the head of the agency that produces the monthly jobs figures after a report showed hiring slowed in July and was much weaker in May and June than previously reported.
Trump, in a post on his social media platform, alleged that the figures were manipulated for political reasons and said that Erika McEntarfer, the director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, should be fired.
Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that he had fired McEntarfer, accusing her of having "faked the Jobs Numbers" reports released by her office.
In a social media post, Chavez-DeRemer pushed back on criticism leveled against Trump over his decision to fire McEntarfer and said she supports the move, repeating Trump's claims that the recent jobs report was "manipulated for political purposes."
The secretary wrote: "I agree wholeheartedly with @POTUS that our jobs numbers must be fair, accurate, and never manipulated for political purposes."
She added, "A recent string of major revisions have come to light and raised concerns about decisions being made by the Biden-appointed Labor Commissioner. I support the President's decision to replace Biden's Commissioner and ensure the American People can trust the important and influential data coming from BLS."
Chavez-DeRemer also announced, "During the search for a replacement, Deputy Commissioner William Wiatrowski will serve as Acting Commissioner."
She continued, "Thanks to President Trump, our economy is BOOMING, and with the help of fair trade deals and the One Big, Beautiful Bill, American workers will prosper!"
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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