Former U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, who was dismissed by Trump, made her first public statement, calling her firing a "dangerous step" for the economy. She revealed that during her tenure, significant time was diverted to addressing interference from Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) rather than advancing statistical system modernization reforms.

On Tuesday, McEntarfer addressed students at her alma mater, Bard College, stating that while she had originally hoped to advance improvements in employment and inflation statistics, she ultimately spent most of 2025 focusing on defending against disruptions from Elon Musk's DOGE team. She noted:

"We handled more crises in a week than we would normally face in a year."

McEntarfer expressed concerns about the future, particularly regarding statistical system modernization. The Bureau of Labor Statistics still relies on phone inquiries for employment status and sends staff to manually check store shelf prices. As an expert with 25 years of experience in statistical quality improvement at the Census Bureau, she had been prepared to help the Labor Statistics Bureau modernize its data collection methods.

Erika McEntarfer was removed from her position as Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on August 1st, with Trump accusing her of manipulating data to damage his political image. Former Labor Statistics Bureau officials from both parties have dismissed this allegation as impossible.

McEntarfer recalled the circumstances of her dismissal. On August 1st, she held a routine meeting with Trump administration officials, explaining why May and June employment data needed downward revisions—companies that reported late had disclosed unexpectedly weak hiring figures. Hours later, she received a brief dismissal email from the White House.

McEntarfer warned that the phenomenon of statistical officials being forced to leave due to poor data performance has occurred in countries like Argentina, Greece, and Turkey, where loss of trust in economic statistics led these nations into more severe economic crises, higher inflation, and increased borrowing costs.

Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is led by Acting Commissioner William Wiatrowski. Trump has nominated Heritage Foundation economist E.J. Antoni for the position. The Bureau faces challenges including budget constraints and staff shortages, with employee numbers having decreased by 20% since January.