President Donald Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, the head of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), following the release of a report indicating a sharp slowdown in U.S. hiring during the summer. Trump accused McEntarfer of manipulating job creation data to portray his administration unfavorably, a claim disputed by former Trump-appointed BLS officials who called the firing baseless. The White House defended the decision, citing concerns over increasingly inaccurate data revisions. This move has disrupted a longstanding tradition of non-interference in the BLS since the 1970s and sparked widespread criticism from economists, investors, and policymakers. Many warn that the firing undermines confidence in the integrity of U.S. economic data, which is crucial for policymaking and market stability. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent supported the firing, describing the agency’s data errors as "lazy work" needing overhaul. Critics, including former BLS officials and economists, caution that the action risks eroding public trust in government statistics, potentially harming economic decision-making. Trump also presented alternative economic statistics, alleging bias in official data favoring his predecessor, Joe Biden. The controversy has raised concerns about the reliability of U.S. economic indicators amid growing demand for accurate assessments of the world's largest economy.