Trump Calls U.S. Job Numbers ‘Rigged’ in CNBC Interview

Former U.S. President Donald Trump used a CNBC appearance on 5 Aug. to renew his long-running attack on federal employment data, calling Bureau of Labor Statistics figures “antiquated and political” and asserting that the system is “totally rigged.” Trump claimed that jobs numbers released before the 2024 election were engineered to look stronger and were later revised downward to damage him politically. He did not provide evidence. CNBC host Joe Kernen pushed back, noting that the largest downward adjustment to 2024 data came in August, before Election Day. The BLS, a non-partisan arm of the Labor Department, issues monthly payroll reports that are routinely revised as additional information becomes available. Economists from both parties generally view the revision process as technical rather than political, and past administrations have relied on the same methodology.