The Peter Zeihan Podcast Series Trump Wants a Second Opinion on Labor Statistics || Peter Zeihan
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Aug 19, 2025 The discussion centers on the implications of politicizing U.S. economic data, highlighting Trump's actions that threaten the integrity of labor statistics. There's a critical analysis of the reliance on estimates in job reports, raising concerns about accuracy. The conversation also draws parallels to past leadership styles that have suppressed dissenting information, emphasizing the need for reliable data to inform policymaking. Overall, it’s a thought-provoking examination of how politics can skew economic realities.
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Value Of Apolitical U.S. Statistics
- U.S. government statistics are globally respected because they are differentiated and apolitical.
- Undermining the institutions that collect those data damages policymaking for generations.
Firing The BLS Commissioner
- Peter Zeihan recounts that Trump fired the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner within hours over an unpopular jobs number.
- He argues that one person cannot simply decide published statistics and that BLS data reflect thousands of contributors.
Cost Of Politicizing Statistics
- Politicizing statistics requires purging not only leaders but rank-and-file statisticians.
- Rebuilding that expertise will take a generation and will hinder targeted policy for decades.