WASHINGTON − Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called President Donald Trump's firing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics chief "irresponsible" and likened his response to weaker-than-anticipated jobs numbers to "the action of a petulant child."
The Trump ally turned critic said in an appearance on ABC News the firing was classic Trump.
"When he gets news he doesn't like, he needs someone to blame because he won't take the responsibility himself, and this is the action of a petulant child. Like, 'You give me bad news, I fire the messenger,'" Christie told "This Week" host George Stephanopoulos.
Trump ordered the removal of Erika McEntarfer, the U.S. commissioner of Labor Statistics, on Aug. 1 after the Labor Department said the U.S. economy added a mere 73,000 jobs in July. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also revised down totals for May and June by a combined 258,000 jobs.
The president accused McEntarfer, a 20-year veteran of the federal government appointed to the position by Biden, of politically driven data manipulation. He did not provide evidence for the charge.
