Kathmandu, Aug 3: In a controversial and unprecedented move, U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Erica McEntire, following the release of lower-than-expected employment figures that cast a shadow over the administration’s economic narrative.

The decision came just hours after the BLS reported only 73,000 new jobs were added in July, far below analyst expectations of 109,000. The weak data triggered an immediate slump in U.S. stock markets, further intensifying political and economic pressure.

President Trump, in a social media post on Truth Social, accused McEntire of deliberately publishing false statistics in an effort to “hurt the Republican Party and Make America Look Awful (MALA).” He asserted, “The economy is growing fast under my leadership.”

The White House’s move has sparked sharp criticism from lawmakers and economists alike, with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer denouncing Trump as a “bad leader” who punishes truth-tellers. “This is persecution of those who deliver honest but unfavorable data,” Schumer stated.

This marks the first time a sitting U.S. president has publicly removed the head of an independent federal agency like the BLS, which is traditionally shielded from political interference to preserve data integrity.

Economic analysts say the poor jobs numbers highlight the slowdown in U.S. economic growth and may reflect the negative consequences of Trump’s aggressive tariff policies, which have strained global trade and affected domestic industries.

The firing has fueled growing concerns about political manipulation of economic data and its impact on public trust in federal institutions.