Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has reignited concerns about political interference in future jobs data after saying the independence of statistical agencies was “nonsense” and the main focus should be on getting “the right answer.”
In the wake of President Donald Trump firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics after she released a weak jobs report, Lutnick held a town hall on Tuesday that alarmed some employees at his department.
Asked about the importance of independence at statistical agencies, Howard reportedly told staff: “As best as humanly possible with as many tools as possible, get the right answer. So independence is nonsense. Okay, accuracy is the only word that matters.”
The comments were first reported by Government Executive, which obtained a recording of Lutnick’s question-and-answer session.
According to the publication, the commerce secretary also sought to mitigate any concerns by making clear that he would not accept improper biases.
“If someone’s opinion is driving them, then they’re tilting the foundation, and they’re going to mess with America,” the billionaire former businessman is quoted as saying.
“Let’s get the answer right. God knows, let’s get the answer right. And, therefore, that’s all I care about.”
Lutnick’s department did not respond to questions about his town hall remarks, which took place soon after Trump tapped Heritage Foundation economist E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Statistics.
Antoni’s nomination came after the president fired the previous commissioner, Dr. Erika McEntarfer, in response to a report revealing that there were 258,000 fewer jobs in May and June than initially thought, and only 73,000 new jobs for July.
The figures were controversial for Trump, revealing that president’s trade policies had fueled uncertainty in the market which, in turn, contributed to slower economic growth.
Antoni, on the other hand, is a MAGA ally and a longtime critic of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. He once called its statistics “phoney baloney” and previously urged DOGE “to take a chainsaw” to the agency.
He has also suggested suspending the agency’s monthly jobs report, claiming that its underlying methodology and modeling is flawed.
“How on earth are businesses supposed to plan–or how is the Fed supposed to conduct monetary policy–when they don’t know how many jobs are being added or lost in our economy?” Antoni told Fox News Digital in an interview earlier this month.
“It’s a serious problem that needs to be fixed immediately.”
However critics, such as progressive group 314 Action, said the nomination was like “hiring a flat-earther to run NASA.”
“Expect job numbers to mysteriously improve overnight. EJ Antoni’s only qualification for the job as the nation’s Chief Statistician is unbridled fidelity to Donald Trump and enacting Project 2025’s extreme agenda,” said the group’s Executive Director Erik Polyak.
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