White House on defense over President Trump’s firing of official responsible for jobs data

Political Investigation - Attorney General Pam Bondi is calling for a grand jury expected to investigate Obama era officials' handling of the Russia interference in the 2016 election [1] - This investigation is viewed by Democrats as a distraction lacking in evidence [2] Economic Data and Reporting - The Trump administration is potentially shifting focus from disappointing economic headlines [3] - The president fired the official who oversees monthly job report data [3] - The president claimed, without evidence, that the jobs report showing a slowdown in hiring was rigged with fake political numbers [4] - Economists state that jobs data has become very unreliable [5] - The BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) reports are critical for policy makers and businesses making hiring and investment decisions [5] - Revisions to previous estimates in the report are typical and indicate a successful survey [6] - Trump's first BLS commissioner, William Beach, stated that it would be impossible for a commissioner to rig the jobs data [7]