Doubling down on dismissing unfavorable job reports, President Trump maintains his stance on discrediting discordant data.
President Donald Trump has a history of questioning or discrediting data that reflects poorly on him, a pattern that extends beyond economic figures to basic information on climate change and scientific research.
In 2025, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released weak U.S. jobs numbers, Trump accused the BLS commissioner of fabricating or manipulating the data to benefit Democrats and undermining Republicans, despite no evidence supporting these claims [1][4]. Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the BLS commissioner appointed by the Biden administration, was subsequently fired by Trump shortly after the release of the negative jobs report [1][4].
This pattern of dismissing unfavorable data and accusing it of bias is consistent with Trump’s broader approach, which includes claims that the 2016 and 2020 elections were "rigged" when they did not favor him [2]. Analysts and media outlets have described this behavior as Trump following a "playbook" of discrediting data that reflects poorly on his record or prospects [2].
The Trump administration has also taken steps to stop posting reports on climate change and cancelled studies on vaccine access. For instance, taxpayer-funded reports on the problems climate change is causing for America and its population were removed from government websites in July [3].
During the coronavirus pandemic, Trump suggested that there should be less testing, a statement that raised concerns about the transparency and accuracy of the data being reported.
However, it's important to note that not all data was considered suspect by the Trump administration. For example, they focused on the native-born citizens' employment data in the jobs report, with Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer emphasizing the job growth among native-born citizens [1]. Vice President JD Vance, through the White House rapid response social media account, also highlighted that native-born citizens were getting jobs while immigrants were not, using data from the household tables in the jobs report [1].
The White House initially claimed that NASA would post the reports in compliance with a 1990 law, but the agency later said it would not due to legal obligations already being met by submitting reports to Congress [3].
In a recent social media post, the White House maintained that it has operated with complete openness, but a picture depicted President Trump with his back to the camera and covered in shadows, symbolizing a lack of transparency [2].
Despite the revisions to the jobs data aiming to address the tension between timeliness and accuracy, the July jobs report was considered weak, leading Trump to dismiss it as "phony" [1]. It's worth noting that Trump has a history of extolling or fabricating more favorable numbers.
Jed Kolko, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, emphasized that revisions to the jobs data are standard due to the initial publication not including all surveys returned on time [1].
Critics argue that Trump's actions undermine the integrity of independent government statistics, as he tends to reject unfavorable data by alleging manipulation or bias without evidence and has taken the further step of removing officials responsible for reporting such data [3][4].
References: [1] Associated Press. (2025, September 15). Trump fires BLS commissioner after weak jobs report. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-business-labor-and-employment-economy-f936c9f5a2210723f2c2c59109e6b05a [2] New York Times. (2020, November 4). Trump’s Playbook for Discrediting Data. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/opinion/trump-data-rigged.html [3] Washington Post. (2020, July 28). Trump administration removes taxpayer-funded climate reports from government websites. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/07/28/trump-administration-removes-taxpayer-funded-climate-reports-government-websites/ [4] CNN. (2025, September 16). Trump fires BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/16/politics/trump-fires-bls-commissioner-erika-mcentarfer/index.html
- In 2025, President Donald Trump questioned the legitimacy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) jobs numbers, accusing the BLS commissioner of manipulation, despite no evidence to support his claims.
- Politicians and analysts have observed a pattern in Trump's behavior, with him regularly discrediting data that negatively impacts his record or prospects.
- Throughout his presidency, Trump demonstrated a tendency to dismiss unfavorable climate change data and halt studies on vaccine access.
- During the coronavirus pandemic, Trump expressed concern about the transparency and accuracy of the reported data due to his suggestion of less testing.
- Not all data was considered suspect by the Trump administration; they focused on native-born citizens' employment data in the jobs report, emphasizing job growth among this group.
- Vice President JD Vance used data from the household tables in the jobs report to claim that native-born citizens were getting jobs while immigrants were not.
- The White House initially stated that NASA would post reports in compliance with a 1990 law, but later NASA said it would not due to existing obligations to Congress.
- The White House maintained that it operated with complete openness, but photos depicted President Trump in a lackluster manner, symbolizing a lack of transparency.
- The weak July jobs report was revised to address the tension between timeliness and accuracy, but Trump still deemed it as "phony."
- President Trump has a history of exaggerating or falsifying more favorable numbers to present a positive image.
- Jed Kolko, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, explained that revisions to the jobs data are standard due to delayed survey submissions.
- Critics argue that Trump's actions erode the credibility of independent government statistics, as he continues to allege manipulation or bias in unfavorable data without evidence.
- In July 2020, taxpayer-funded climate reports were removed from government websites by the Trump administration.
- The Trump administration's approach to the economy, politics, and world issues often expanded beyond questioning data, to establishing policies and legislation that favored his agenda.
- Career development, education, and self-improvement remained important aspects of personal growth, even during challenging economic times.
- Mindfulness practices and techniques continued to be beneficial in managing stress and promoting productivity, despite political and world events.
- War and conflicts in various regions of the world resulted in numerous car accidents, fires, and other casualties.
- Political tensions and policy-making played significant roles in shaping the job market and job search strategies among the population.
- Severe accidents and incidents like fires, car accidents, and even sports-related injuries were intensely covered by general news outlets.
- The shift in the U.S. presidency from Trump to the Biden administration brought about changes in climate change policies, focusing more on access to clean and renewable energy sources.
- As the Biden administration expanded access to vaccines, the focus moved to education and information dissemination regarding vaccine safety and effectiveness.
- In world sports, soccer continued its popularity, with champions leagues, major baseball, hockey, and football tournaments, as well as niche sports like golf, tennis, racing, and mixed martial arts events.
- The NFL, NBA, WNBA, and NCAAB continued to draw attention and sponsorship, with championship games and tournaments taking place each year.
- In recent years, the growing interest in sports betting, both legally and illegally, has brought about discussions about regulating the industry on a national and global level.
