Marketplace Morning Report What government data looks like in a Trump presidency
Jul 28, 2025
Federal funding for key statistical agencies has faced tight constraints, particularly during the Trump presidency, raising serious concerns about data reliability. The discussion reveals alarming trends in the availability and accuracy of vital statistics, from health to crime. Experts emphasize how budget cuts and reduced staffing have compromised essential economic indicators. Additionally, there's valuable insight into the newly established trade deal between the U.S. and EU, highlighting tariff specifics and the implications for upcoming U.S.-China trade talks.
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Data Set Removal Targets Diversity, Climate
- Federal data sets, especially those on diversity and climate, have been selectively removed under the Trump administration.
- This limits understanding of how policies impact racial groups and essential environmental tracking.
Staff Cuts Weaken Data Quality
- Job cuts of 15 to 40% in statistical agencies reduce the number of trained statisticians.
- This undermines the quality of federal data collection and analysis, impacting data reliability.
Economic Data at Risk from Cuts
- Funding shortages force fewer field surveys for core economic data like the Consumer Price Index.
- Mis-measured inflation could misallocate hundreds of billions in Social Security spending.