WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after a weaker-than-expected economic report showed U.S. job growth at its worst monthly numbers since December 2020 -- at the height of pandemic when President Trump was in office – President Trump reacted by firing the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) commissioner.

U.S. Senator Jack Reed issued the following statement:

“President Trump said he’d lower prices; he hasn’t. It is clear that his unilateral tariff hikes and other steps are hurting our economy and the signals are flashing. His destabilizing policies are costing people jobs and opportunities while taking away their health care.

“President Trump’s inflationary, billionaire-first tax cuts and reckless trade war are raising prices. His so-called ‘trade deals’ are mostly smoke and mirrors – he claims big wins for himself but then the fine print shows American consumers and businesses are the ones who lose out.

“His petulant ‘shoot-the-messenger approach’ at BLS raises all sorts of troubling questions about the future integrity of BLS’s ability to provide accurate, unbiased economic metrics to the public. We’ll see whether the business community finds any comfort in the President’s chaotic tariff taxes and firing of economic data experts.

“Donald Trump needs to stop the giveaways to China. He needs to stop attacking the Federal Reserve’s independence. His unfocused mismanagement and unforced errors are hurting American workers and businesses alike. He has single-handedly reduced tourism and cost summer businesses billions of dollars.

“The American economy is resilient and has so much going for it, but perhaps the biggest impediment right now is Donald Trump.”