President Donald Trump fired the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday after a new jobs report showed a major slowdown of hiring in recent months. In a social media post, Trump volleyed sharp criticism and baseless accusations at Erika McEntarfer, a Biden appointee who was confirmed by the Senate in 2024.

President Trump’s pick to run the federal agency that produces the critical U.S. jobs report might not be able to make it more reliable — and a new commissioner could even make the problems worse.

When the economic news is bad, Trump thinks he can just shoot the messenger. Here’s how the firing played out, as well as analysis and reaction.