Firing BLS Director Over Weak Jobs Report Is 'Banana Republic' Behavior

by Steven Greenhut, Reason, Aug. 8, 2015- ... Last week, Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It's a statistical job, which oversees the compilation of economic data about jobs, labor costs, and productivity. The BLS reports to the labor secretary, but operates independently.

Trump didn't like the latest jobs report, which showed meager jobs growth as the nation heads toward a tariff-imposed recession. "I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY," posted Trump on social media. He called her numbers "RIGGED." Never mind that previous BLS jobs data—released before the November election—offered bad news for Kamala Harris.

As with any bureaucracy, the agency is fair game for criticism. BLS has plenty of flaws. But we know how Trump and MAGA play the game: Any results that are good for them are the truth—and anything not to their liking is evidence of rigging or conspiracy­. Their take on any news is the one that advances their interests.

... the feds need an independent body to analyze statistics. The New York Times quoted Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell: "Good data helps not just the Fed, it helps the government, but it also helps the private sector." Trump has indicated he'd like to replace Powell—presumably with someone who will juice interest rates to help his political goals. Any intelligent person, though, can see why good policy flows from an accurate understanding of reality.

These are banana republic moves, backed by MAGA and the Banana Republican Party. Had any Democratic president tried to so directly politicize these independent agencies, Republicans would be screaming about the coming tyranny.

Rod's Comment: I agree, and the above says it well. With this development and so much more, if a Democrat were doing what Trump does, Republicans would be screaming bloody murder.  Republicans have cast aside principles they have claimed to support forever in order to advance an agenda. Republicans are casting aside norms that allow our democracy to function for the expediency of making Trump look good. 

What is next? If the census data does not favor Republicans in House seat reapportionment, will Trump replace the head of the Census Bureau with someone who will give him data he likes? If crime data does not show a crime reduction, will Trump replace the person in charge of collecting that data? 

In the old Soviet Union, when data did not show success of the most recent five-year plan, the head of the agency collecting the data might end up in the gulag. Trump is following in the footsteps of dictators the world over; if you don't like the message, shoot the messenger. 

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