Left, Right & Center Was there any good reason to fire BLS chief?
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Aug 8, 2025 Mike Dupke, former White House Director of Communications, and Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown's Institute of Politics, dive into the firing of BLS chief Erika McEntarfer, sparked by controversy over job reports. They discuss the manipulation of economic data for political gain and how this affects public trust. The conversation shifts to bipartisan critiques of parties ignoring voters' needs, emphasizing a need to prioritize substantial issues over cultural wars. They also address the role of objectivity in journalism amid rising misinformation.
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BLS Job Number Revisions
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics' job numbers often get revised because preliminary data is incomplete.
- Large revisions aren't necessarily incompetence but reflect the nature of gathering economic data.
Trump's Pattern of Narrative Control
- The Trump administration frequently alters government data and narratives to fit its desired story.
- This includes firing officials and censoring documents to shape public perception.
Portrait Gallery's Partisan Bias
- Mike Dupke visited the Portrait Gallery and saw partisan slants in presidential descriptions, especially from Nixon onward.
- He noticed bias favoring Democrats and disadvantage for Republicans in exhibits.