Economist Paul Krugman has warned that President Donald Trump is replacing official statistics with narratives that fit political goals. He says this trend threatens jobs, crime, and even public health data.
Krugman pointed to two recent actions by the Trump administration. The first was the firing of Bureau of Labor Statistics chief Erica McEntarfar after a report showed weak job growth. The second was deploying the National Guard in Washington, D.C., despite crime rates falling.
“These stories show one thing: MAGA’s feelings don’t care about your facts,” Krugman said in his newsletter on Thursday. He argues this is part of a push to hide inconvenient truths.
Trump’s new BLS pick, EJ Antoni, has suggested defining recessions based on how people feel, rather than on employment or GDP figures. Krugman says this could open the door to discarding key data.
On crime, Krugman noted that while D.C.’s crime rate is high compared to other big cities, it is dropping quickly. He called claims that New York police are faking crime numbers “simply hilarious.”
He warned that the same suppression could target inflation numbers. Trump’s tariffs are already affecting prices, he said, and a “Trumpified BLS” could simply stop reporting price data.
Krugman believes public health could be the next area at risk. He says Americans are beginning to see that their life expectancy is low compared to other wealthy nations.
In an earlier newsletter, Krugman criticized Trump for calling the jobs report rigged. He said the firing of the BLS chief was part of a “paranoid style” in politics.
Trump responded on Truth Social, accusing Krugman of a personal vendetta and saying his predictions have been wrong for years. He dismissed the concerns as “doom and gloom.”
