Newly released emails from 2018 reveal the contentious relationship between former President Donald Trump and the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS), triggered by a tweet foreshadowing strong jobs numbers before their official release, as reported by Bloomberg. The incident underscores a long-standing feud, reignited by Trump’s recent firing of BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer in 2025 over revised job figures.
On June 1, 2018, Trump tweeted, “Looking forward to seeing the unemployment numbers at 8:30 this morning,” an hour before the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) released its monthly jobs report showing robust growth. He sent the tweet after a confidential briefing, raising insider trading concerns and violating protocol, as presidents should not disclose such data early, according to The New York Times. Emails obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests reveal that BLS officials sounded an internal alarm, noting that the breach could undermine data integrity.
Dozens of emails related to a 2018 Trump tweet over the monthly jobs report are a good reminder that the president's relationship with the Bureau of Labor Statistics has long been acrimonious. https://t.co/wysz3lRJN3
— Bloomberg (@business) August 22, 2025The 2018 incident set the stage for Trump’s repeated criticism of the BLS, including his 2025 claim that job numbers were “rigged” to harm his administration. This led to the dismissal of McEntarfer following a weak July report. Former BLS Commissioner William Beach, appointed by Trump, refuted the manipulation claims, stating, “The commissioner doesn’t control the numbers,” emphasising the agency’s independence.
Trump’s history of questioning BLS data, from calling unemployment figures “phony” in 2016 to praising them in 2017, reflects a pattern of leveraging economic reports for political gain. The 2018 emails, numbering over 50, reveal staff concerns about public trust, a sentiment echoed in 2025 as Trump’s actions, including a proposed 8% BLS staff cut, threaten the agency’s credibility, per CNBC.
The release of these emails, amid Trump’s second term, intensifies scrutiny of his influence over federal agencies. As the BLS navigates leadership changes, maintaining its reputation as a global standard for economic data remains critical, with implications for policy and public confidence.
