Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Economists are lining up to defend Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner Erika McEntarfer, who was fired by President Donald Trump on Friday over his allegations that the agency manipulated a report showing low job growth for July.
"It has been the honor of my life to serve as Commissioner of BLS alongside the many dedicated civil servants tasked with measuring a vast and dynamic economy. It is vital and important work and I thank them for their service to this nation," McEntarfer said on social media Friday.
Her firing came after the July report had shown that jobs growth was slower than expected as the unemployment rose, with the United States only adding 73,000 new jobs for the month -- down from 147,000 new jobs added in June.
"Today's jobs numbers were rigged in order to make Republicans and me look bad," Trump had said Friday afternoon in a Truth Social post.
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers called Trump's accusations a "preposterous charge" in an interview with ABC News' "This Week" program Sunday.
