US President Donald Trump said Monday that he would pick an “exceptional replacement” for his labor statistics chief, days after ordering her dismissal after a report showed weakness in the jobs market.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump reiterated — without providing evidence — that Friday’s employment report “was rigged.”
He alleged that commissioner of labor statistics Erika McEntarfer had manipulated data to diminish his administration’s accomplishments, drawing sharp criticism from economists and a professional association.
“We’ll be announcing a new (labor) statistician some time over the next three-four days,” Trump told reporters Sunday.
He added Monday: “I will pick an exceptional replacement.”
US job growth missed expectations in July, figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed, and sharp revisions to hiring figures in recent months brought them to the weakest levels since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Trump ordered the removal of McEntarfer hours after the figures were published.
“We had no confidence. I mean the numbers were ridiculous,” Trump told reporters Sunday. He charged that McEntarfer came up with “phenomenal” numbers on his predecessor Joe Biden’s economy before the 2024 election.
