Divorcing Reality

On Friday, the Labor Department released the monthly jobs report showing that the U.S. economy has slowed sharply in the last few months. Not only was the 73,000 jobs number reported for July much less than the value expected, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics also cut over 250,000 jobs from its previous estimates for May and June.

This three-month downturn shows that Donald Trump's ever-shifting economic policies and the sweeping destruction of the "Big Beautiful Bill" are doing just what many economists predicted — causing economic instability and putting the brakes on an economy that has seen multiple years of record growth.

To find three months of job growth as low as that seen in the last quarter requires going back to the midst of the pandemic during Trump's first term. Or to the Great Recession under George W. Bush.

Faced with this strong signal that the economy is in real trouble, Trump dealt with the situation using a method familiar to tyrants throughout history. He shot the messenger.

As NBC News reports, Trump moved swiftly to fire Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"We need accurate Jobs Numbers," Trump wrote. "She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified. Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes."

McEntarfer holds a PhD in economics from Virginia Tech. She has been an economist at the Census Bureau, Treasury Department, and White House Council of Economic Advisers across three administrations, including throughout Trump's first term. She was confirmed in her appointment as commissioner in an 86–8 vote that included the approval of Senators J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio.

Two months ago, Trump praised the numbers from McEntarfer's office as proof that his policies were working while declaring that "More winning is on the way!" Before that, he claimed that the bureau had "faked" numbers showing strong growth under President Joe Biden.

McEntarfer is sure to be replaced by someone much more reliable from one of Trump's favorite business programs. Top candidates include "Bottom Line" host Dagen McDowell, whose degree in art history surely makes her the most qualified replacement for Dr. McEntarfer. After all, McDowell formerly co-hosted with Sean Duffy, whose career as a professional lumberjack and reality show star made him the most qualified person to run NASA.

But of course, Trump's top candidate has to be conservative business talker Lou Dobbs. Dobbs has the advantage of having died in 2024, which should really cut down on any negative reports.