Integrity matters
President Trump's firing of the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics is a clear threat to all independent federal data and statistics, including those at Interior, because it is aimed at undercutting integrity of the system.
To: Everyone who cares about integrity
From: Jacob Malcom, Executive Director of Next Interior*
Subject: Integrity matters: Federal data and statistics edition
On Friday, 01 August, after a bad jobs report, President Donald Trump made unfounded accusations of impropriety against the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Dr. Erika McEntarfer, and directed that she be fired. This is an inexcusable action, not just because of the impact to Commissioner McEntarfer, BLS, and its work, but because it is a direct assault on the integrity of data, statistics, and facts from across the federal government. The loss of integrity will harm people, institutions—including the Department of the Interior—and the Nation as a whole. Congress, the business sector, civil society organizations, and people everywhere must speak up for integrity, and against this action, to make clear that the President's intransigence is unacceptable.
Background
If you haven’t read up on what this is all about, that’s okay: somewhat surprisingly, this seemingly nerdy, wonky, in-the-weeds subject has managed to get considerable media coverage. (It helps having advocates for BLS being loud and proud, [some] businesses speaking up, and the fact that the impacts to businesses across the spectrum will be enormous.) You can read these preceding links for more detailed information, but in brief:
- The BLS reports on employment each month, and the employment numbers for past months are revised as new data become available. This month’s data showed weak employment growth and the original May and June numbers were revised downward.
- The President was upset that the numbers didn’t support his message, so his worst instincts took over and he baselessly attacked the messenger and the institution.
- The people of any federal agency that releases data and statistics must now assume that inconvenient results might incur Trump’s wrath and personal attacks, a clear signal that contradicting him—no matter the evidence—will not be tolerated.
That last point is important because while the news coverage has been good, we need to help people realize that this is not just about economic data and BLS. It’s not even just about the other recognized statistical agencies and units (RSAUs as they are called) like BLS, including the Census Bureau, Economic Research Service, and many more.** The direct threat is to the integrity of all federal data, statistics, and facts.
The integrity of federal data, statistics, and facts is essential to making good decisions that help people, the planet, the economy. If their integrity is compromised, then we won't take the actions needed to solve people's problems, restore and protect the planet, ensure livelihoods, and much more. Integrity matters.
Most people are aware of the Trump administration’s attacks on science and knowledge institutions, in and out of government, the attempts to undercut their integrity. As I was writing this memo, I saw the NYTimes editorial board put it today as his all-out assault on facts. And while things like removing data collections that might reveal inconvenient facts; ordering a new standard for scientific integrity that is Orwellian and undercuts integrity; or removing already completed analyses like the National Climate Assessment, are bad, this is even more directly undermining the integrity of the system since it makes the action personal. Not just an idea like climate change being questioned, but making it clear that a person will be called out, denigrated, and targeted by the President of the United States…bullying, instilling fear.
Because Trump has no integrity and he just showed us that he will not stand for others to have integrity if it means contradicting him, unless something changes very soon--see more below about Acting for Integrity--then any data or statistics from federal agencies will now raise questions. For example, if new employment numbers happen to suddenly align with Trump's (evidence-free) position, how can anyone be sure they haven’t been tweaked? I understand and believe deeply in the integrity and dedication of career public servants who do this work, but we cannot underestimate the damage that can be done if their independence is compromised by politics and the integrity of the results is lost.
Why This Matters to Interior
Before you think the topic doesn’t really matter to the Department of the Interior--that this is an issue for the economic agencies, or population agencies--please know that it really does matter.
Consider the National Minerals Information Center of the US Geological Survey at the Department of the Interior. They don't have many of the legal requirements of RSAUs like BLS, but its impact on minerals markets and the economy is enormous. Given the clear willingness—eagerness—of administration appointees to please Trump, would anyone be surprised if one of them leaned on or outright ordered career staff at NMIC to fudge numbers if a statistical publication, like a quarterly or annual update, showed lower critical minerals production or anything that might contradict Trump? I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened because Trump has shown that integrity does not matter to him. Water, ecosystems, energy data are all examples of USGS work that could be targeted.
Or what about waterfowl numbers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Interior. Those data are critical for federal land managers, States, and Tribes to ensure sustainable harvest of ducks, as they have done for decades. And because of those data and the management decisions they inform, most duck populations are doing quite well! But what if there were declines that meant managers have to lower bag limits for hunters? Would someone insist that the numbers be changed to be more favorable so it doesn't look bad for the boss?
What about water levels behind the Bureau of Reclamation’s dams across the West? If those get too low will the President demand revisions and insist people believe him rather than their own eyes staring at dropping levels? Park visitation or visitation to and economic impacts of our public lands? What about numbers on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women? Or the realities of how the Endangered Species Act is implemented? Should we even get started on facts about renewable energy that is under attack by the President and Secretary Burgum?
The point is, none of these data and statistics and facts are truly safe now since President Trump does not care about integrity. Because he attacked and “made an example” of the BLS Commissioner, the integrity of the system is at risk even in the face of the integrity and dedication of our public servants.
Acting for Integrity
While things may seem dark, we should remember that we are not powerless. Here are three things you can do to work against the degradation of integrity of federal data and statistics:
- Speak up for the integrity of BLS, the Federal Statistical System, and Federal data, statistics, and facts in general. Call your lawmakers and show up at townhalls, write an op-ed, talk with your family about why it’s important that we insist on integrity.
- Congress needs to act, and since they’re on recess, that means they need to be calling this out in townhalls the rest of this month. It’s one of the ways we work to get back to a norm of integrity.
- Have the backs of Interior (and other federal) public servants who have integrity in producing data, statistics, and facts that we depend on. We can’t leave anyone hanging out there, exposed; we need to be ready to speak up for them as soon as this happens again. While it might not be something data- or stats-specific, President Trump will attempt to compromise the integrity of people and the system, and it cannot be accepted.
- Model integrity in our own lives, for ourselves, our families, our friends, our coworkers. Insist on veracity, adherence to truth.
It's not too late, but we have to act now. If we don't, then I fear that we're cooked at least for years, maybe decades, with many dark days ahead before the value of integrity comes back to the fore.
As Next Interior Memos matures, a small set of common themes will emerge to help organize the many, complex issues surrounding Interior’s mission and the broader context in which the Department’s work plays out. This is the first example and one that we believe is among the most critical issues for society, including the Department: the attacks on integrity. Without the integrity of leaders and public servants, without the integrity of systems, without dedication and adherence to truth and honesty…well, the system and society on which we all depend falls apart. Watch for more Memos on integrity and what we need to do to support and celebrate it.
* In addition to his current role as ED of Next Interior, Dr. Malcom was the Statistical Official for the Department of the Interior from January 2022 until his resignation from the Department in February 2025, so is quite familiar with federal statistics and the Federal Statistical System.
** Not familiar with the Federal Statistical System? Here’s the statspolicy.gov overview of the FSS, with those RSAUs in the blue hexagons:
