Right-Wing Economists Turn on Trump After Labor Chief Firing: Heritage, AEI, and Manhattan Institute speak out

A direct assault on economic truth—and the numbers don’t lie

Donald Trump has fired the head of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) following a weaker-than-expected July jobs report—and even right-wing economists are sounding the alarm.

The dismissed official is Dr. Erika L. McEntarfer, the Senate-confirmed Commissioner of Labor Statistics, whose four-year term was supposed to be insulated from partisan interference. Trump’s justification? He accused her—without evidence—of manipulating job numbers for political purposes.

“We will be replacing her with someone who is much more competent and qualified.”

—Donald Trump, August 1, 2025

Let’s be clear: the BLS is the gold standard for labor data. It’s relied on by businesses, policymakers, economists, and yes—even former presidents. But Trump didn’t like the numbers:

• July: only 73,000 jobs added

• May and June: downward revisions of 258,000 jobs

And so he’s doing what he always does when the truth hurts—fire the messenger.

Right-Wing Economists Are Speaking Out

Even former Trump allies and conservative think tanks aren’t backing him this time.

🔹 William Beach, former BLS Commissioner under Trump and longtime Heritage Foundation economist:

“Totally groundless firing… It undermines the statistical mission of the Bureau.”

🔹 Michael Strain, Director of Economic Policy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI):

“There is no evidence that BLS data are politically biased… Erika McEntarfer has conducted herself with great integrity.”

🔹 Jessica Riedl, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute:

“This is banana-republic stuff. Why should we trust data from agencies where the director’s job depends on altering bad news?”

What’s Really at Stake

This isn’t just about one person—it’s about institutional trust. The BLS is supposed to be independent. If Trump replaces career economists with political loyalists, we lose the ability to know what’s actually happening in the economy.

Jobs numbers will become propaganda.

Facts will become fiction.

And the damage won’t just affect 2025—it will carry into 2026, the midterms, and beyond.

First he tried to jail journalists. Now he’s firing statisticians.

If they can erase the facts, they can erase our future.

Let’s make sure the name Erika McEntarfer is remembered.

She stood for integrity.

Trump stands for control.