President Donald Trump has removed Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner Erika McEntarfer after a weaker-than-expected July employment report and subsequent data revisions indicated the labour market was softer than previously believed, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal. The dismissal has put one of Washington’s key statistical agencies at the centre of a political storm over the credibility of federal economic data. The White House is interviewing candidates to replace McEntarfer, with conservative economist E.J. Antoni among those discussed, people familiar with the process said. Antoni’s backers include former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, who has urged the president to install an ally he trusts at the top of the agency. No timetable for an appointment has been announced. The shake-up comes as the BLS struggles with a hiring freeze and broader staffing shortages that analysts warn could further hinder data collection, Reuters reported. Economists say persistent survey non-response and ageing technology already threaten the quality and timeliness of the bureau’s inflation and employment indicators, which inform Federal Reserve and market decision-making. Separately, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Nikkei Asia that the administration’s ‘reciprocal’ tariffs should “melt like an ice cube” if trade imbalances narrow, and said the next Federal Reserve chair should be someone capable of scrutinising the central bank’s structure. His remarks underscore the broader effort by the administration to reshape the machinery that steers U.S. economic policy.