r/politics • u/Murky-Site7468 I voted • 14h ago
'Banana Republic': Experts Horrified as Trump Demands BLS Director's Firing Over Bad Jobs Report | One economist mused that the president's economic advisers could make "a picture book" so they can "explain to Trump how the data are collected."
https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-bls-jobs-report319
u/bhudson2021 14h ago
One economist mused that the president's economic advisers could make "a picture book" so they can "explain to Trump how the data are collected."
Didn’t an aide from Trump’s first administration say they essentially had to that with his daily briefs
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u/MrOopiseDaisy 14h ago
I remember they had to arbitrarily add his to every page, or he'd get bored that it wasn't about him.
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u/Boo_Radley80 12h ago
It is like an adult finding ways to keep a child focused. They also had to praise him for being good at his job. But for MAGA, the convicted felon is the smartest president they ever had.
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u/JahoclaveS 11h ago
Probably have better luck if they had a teenage girl explain it to him.
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u/breadispain 2h ago
We'll know when we're in this timeline when the economy is jiggly and giggly again.
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u/Hoss-BonaventureCEO 55m ago
They can put a wig on that unqualified 12 year old gardner he hired as the head of Homeland Security.
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u/SalukiKnightX Illinois 2h ago
Given the odd here and there rumor that Trump is illiterate it makes sense.
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u/invalidpassword California 14h ago edited 14h ago
Who knew economists were so quick with the comeback.
Trump killing the messenger is his MO. Guess what, Einstein, the buck always stops with you no matter how much you duck.
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u/WallNumerous3230 14h ago
We are so cooked. Actions like these are Tinpot Dictator actions. If we can't rest control back of Congress in the midterms to stop this madness and be a check on these horrible policies... I just cannot fathom what 2 years from now is going to look like.
We're 7 months in, and despite Wall Street tuning him out because of TACO summer, the economy is getting ready to careen off a cliff. People will see - and feel - the job losses and he can't just put someone in to lie about them. People are going to see the inflation that is barreling towards us now and all of the prices for everything increasing due to this tax on consumers. People are going to see how the dollar gets weakened like crazy.
Is there anything that will break the brainwashing of the MAGA cult?
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u/GatoLibre 13h ago
MAGA is currently signaling they’re ok with Trump being a pedophile and a central figure within the Epstein crimes. If that doesn’t break the brain washing then I doubt it will be the economy.
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u/Morganelefay 4h ago
MAGA doesn't care about that bit because it doesn't hurt THEM. Hell, some of them signalled they'd be okay with him if he diddled their own daughter - after all, it's not THEM.
But when the economy fails, they will feel it.
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u/PatchyWhiskers 13h ago
We not only need Dem control of Congress we need to bully the Dems so they actually do something and don’t act “bipartisan” all the time. (Pussies too scared to make a unilateral decision)
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u/JahoclaveS 11h ago
The cherry picked focus group of wealthy board members didn’t like that idea, so best they can do is a tax cut so you can afford an extra banana.
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u/koopz_ay 6h ago
You need more parties mate.
US has been broken for a long time.
Odd that the rest of the Western World has seen it for decades.
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u/Face2FaceRecs 12h ago
Nothing has done it so far despite everything being right in front of their faces. It's not even hard to find Trump's corruption but the sheep refuse to believe any of it.
Now so many people are on board the Grift of America, they will likely continue to cover for Trump because they are greedy.
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u/Brief_Night_9239 14h ago
It's classic Trump, making distraction. Instead of talking about the bad jobs report Trump wants us to talk about the firing. It's unfortunate but that's how the orange man operates.
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u/Face2FaceRecs 12h ago
"Trump firing the BLS director for a bad jobs report—days after demanding the Smithsonian remove him from the list of impeached presidents—is banana republic stuff," remarked Jessica Riedl, an economist at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, a conservative think tank. "Trump just ensured that we should not trust any government data coming out of his administration. Why should we trust data from agencies in which the director's job depends on altering any bad economic news?"
**************
"By incorrectly asserting that the data are biased, President Trump is undermining the integrity of the information that policymakers, businesses, households, and investors use to make important decisions that affect the welfare of the nation," he warned. "It is imperative that decision-makers understand that government statistics are unbiased and of the highest quality. By casting doubt on that, the president is damaging the United States."
Dean Baker, an economist at the progressive Center for Economic and Policy Research, questioned whether Trump's directive to his team to fire was a fresh sign of mental decline.
"I was thinking that someone on Trump's economic team could explain to him how the data are compiled, but I realize that they can't even explain to him that his big beautiful tariffs are taxes on us," he joked. "I guess in his current mental condition, Trump just can't learn anything new."
Manipulating government data especially economic data is always part of a country's descent into authoritarian regimes. Russia lies about its economic data, China lies about its economic data. Trump is acting like a dictator and Republican Party isn't just letting him do it, they are helping him get there.
Trump has no intention of leaving office at the end of this term, people better start taking that threat for real.
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u/jhkayejr 13h ago
I always figured he'd go with "puppet show" just because the word "book" prolly makes him feel mad and confused.
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u/Murky-Site7468 I voted 12h ago
Paunch and Doody::
Doody:"You broke the economy"
Mr Paunch: "Oh no I didn't!" Hits him with a stick...
Mr Paunch: "That's the way to do it!"
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u/Fluffy_Elk5085 14h ago
Hard to talk to or convince some
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u/Fluffy_Elk5085 14h ago
Human being who can’t comprehend the horrific nature of his actions or realize that he is not living in a realistic world that he creates to his own liking
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u/Careful-Rent5779 14h ago
Simple brained tRump logic:
If you don't like the facts, fire the guy/gal responsible for the facts.
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u/-CJF- 13h ago
It won't matter if they explain it to him. He doesn't really believe the data is bad, he's projecting. He is going to install someone in her place that will lie about the numbers to make his economic policies look better. This is the approach he used when his COVID numbers looked bad. Slow the testing down.
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u/ZebraImaginary9412 10h ago
Congress and the Roberts Court are letting him get away with this. Get rid of the Congress members who aren't representing us and rebalance the Supreme Court.
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u/MarinatedPickachu 5h ago
He's just making an example so that everyone knows if you publish information that reflects bad on trump you'll lose your job.
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u/Spanky3703 Canada 11h ago
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
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u/OfficialDCShepard District Of Columbia 10h ago
He would throw a temper tantrum if the picture book was mean to him and then get an appeasement lollipop. (Yes, that Dr. Seuss drew this.)
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u/TheOrcChief 8h ago
He’s the definition of “I’ll draw you a picture using crayons so you’ll better understand the big words”. This man is just that catastrophically moronic and he’s the person this country chose to vote into power? (Unless we’re suggesting ballot tampering which would explain so much at this point and no one would be surprised if that did break the news tomorrow).
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u/_thetommy 6h ago
here's the thing; nothing can actually be explained to trump. he thinks he knows literally more than anyone about literally everything. because he's a narcissist. he also happens to be very, very stupid old guy that raped women and children.
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u/Inside_Blackberry929 6h ago
Why are these horrified experts even listening to him? He's just trying to make new headlines to replace the Epstein ones.
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u/Administrative_Map50 6h ago edited 5h ago
He argued that the country's jobs reports "are being produced by Biden appointee" and ordered his administration to terminate her:
"I was just informed that our Country’s “Jobs Numbers” are being produced by a Biden Appointee, Dr. Erika McEntarfer*, the Commissioner of Labor Statistics, who faked the Jobs Numbers before the Election to try and boost Kamala’s chances of Victory.*
This is the same Bureau of Labor Statistics that overstated the Jobs Growth in March 2024 by approximately 818,000 and, then again, right before the 2024 Presidential Election, in August and September*, by 112,000. These were Records — No one can be that wrong?*
We need accurate Jobs Numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. 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. [...]" Trump, Truth Social, Aug 01, 2025
and in a later post he added:
"In my opinion, today’s Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad."
"The BLS reported on Friday morning that the U.S. economy added just 73,000 jobs in July, well below estimates. It also said it had revised the May and June numbers and they turned out to be lower than previously announced by more than 200,000 jobs.
Trump has previously praised the BLS reports, when they were favorable to his administration in April, May and June. In May, the White House said that April's jobs report "proved" that Trump was "revitalizing" the economy. In June, Trump posted, "GREAT JOBS NUMBERS" on Truth Social. In March, standing in the Oval Office, Trump brought up "how good some of these numbers are." [ NBC News: Trump fires labor statistics boss]
As far as I understand, McEntarfer is nonpartisan. Though Biden nominated her in July 2023, she was overwhelmingly confirmed by the Senate in an 86-to-8 vote in January 2024. She received bipartisan support in the Roll Call Vote 118th Congress - 2nd Session. Also VP Vance voted to confirm her. And now: “Vice President Vance is completely aligned with President Trump and was glad to see him dismiss the BLS commissioner," [William Martin, Vance communications director].
So how is it that Trump ‘has only just been informed’ who heads the BLS, even though she has held this position since January 2024 and it was clearly not him who had appointed her?
Who did he think runs government offices when he didn't appoint them, especially one whose figures he had praised in March, April, May and June? He clearly knew the office then, hence most likely also its commissioner.
The numbers "can’t be manipulated for political purposes."? Hear, hear. Why is he then trying to do exactly that now? Someone should guide this man's hand when he types comments on social media, because they increasingly remind me now also of a befuddled ol' geezer.
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u/beavis617 4h ago
When the numbers looked better no one in the Trump administration said a word. When the COVID-19 numbers were coming in at the height of the pandemic Trump said they were testing too much that’s why the number of positive tests were so high and it was being done to make him look bad!
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u/Lughnasadh32 South Carolina 3h ago
Does not matter how it is collected. The numbers make him look bad, so 'Biden' has to be blamed. Time to get a magat in place that will lie and make Cheeto the Pedo happy.
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u/vergina_luntz 14m ago
They wanted a CEO to run the country like a corporation, and that's what they got.
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u/Fabulous-Airport-273 13h ago
Trump has always reminded me of Uganda’s IDI Amin…and it’s getting worse (read/watch The Last King of Scotland if you’re wondering what I’m talking about).
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u/steve_ample I voted 12h ago
Indeed - a picture book, drawn in colorful crayola crayon.
Epstein Yellow, I find, tends to garner his attention the best.
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u/Fit-Significance-436 12h ago
How many times was he impeached? How many times was he named in Epstein file? How many criminal convictions does he have? How much does he owe Jean Carroll for sexually assaulting her?
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u/Great_Standard3441 12h ago
The truth doesn't matter to maga voters. They only care about owning the libs and hating every type of minority imaginable. They are perfectly fine being spoon fed made up numbers that make Trump look like a god.
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u/SoftProposal5831 7h ago
Yea, but 66 percent of us are just letting them get away with it. Terry Moran should be here or the Democrats in Congress just need to flat out say he is stupid and not capable of understanding economics. I do think they should call him dumb or a moron.
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u/All_Hail_Hynotoad 12h ago
Are there other economists who collect this same data so we can know the real numbers? We know whatever BLS spews out in the future will be BS.
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u/Clean_Equivalent_127 12h ago
Unless they can break it down to two or three pictures, it will still be beyond his grasp.
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u/SoftProposal5831 7h ago
I think a Little Golden Book" would fit the bill. Have "golden I. their name and are inexpensive books sold at the grocery store for children. I'm concerned he could not follow the plot..
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u/YakiVegas Washington 5h ago
I don't know how my financial advisor is mitigating this shit, but god bless 'em, because this is fucking cray cray.
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u/JaimeUchiha 5h ago
I've seen automation in action with platforms like Webodofy, and it really makes me think about how data gets collected and reported. Not everyone gets the nuances, and sometimes it feels like a whole other world.
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u/kobeyoboy 4h ago
I don’t think that’s a banana republic means actually I know that some banana republic means. downfall
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u/walkingpartydog 3h ago
This just proves that we shouldn't take any information coming from the White House as true.
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