Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) said President Donald Trump’s decision to fire Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of labor statistics, was an attempt to weaponize the agency.
Host Kristen Welker said, “Let’s start with the economy. President Trump as I was just discussing with Kevin Hassett, his decision to fire the head of the BLS, it’s prompted pushback, and they’ve appointed a replacement to head the BLS. My question to you, will you trust the numbers when they come out?”
Padilla said, “That is the big question that’s members of the Congress that will have to confirm, members of the Senate will have to confirm whoever Trump replaces. It’s what confirmation hearings are about. Is it somebody who will maintain the independence of the Bureau of Labor Statistics like so many other departments and agencies that need independence from political pressure from the White House to do their job reliably, or will this be another yes person for the president that’s going to be more interested in propaganda than statistics.”
He continued, “I think an investigation is certainly in order. Just as I’ve called for an investigation on Hatch Act violation on the Texas redistricting conversation. Example after example of Donald Trump weaponizing, no longer just the Department of Justice, but trying to weaponize the Bureau of Labor Statistics that tells you about their insecurity about the economy and the state of economic affairs in America because everything that they’re claiming to be true is not true. Prices are still going up.”
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