Why Trump fired the jobs chief and moved nuclear submarines: Breaking down a day of high-stakes power plays

Why Trump fired the jobs chief and moved nuclear submarines

In a turbulent day that laid bare the president’s mounting frustration with political and economic setbacks, Donald Trump fired the head of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and issued a dramatic military response to online provocations from a Russian official, escalating tensions both at home and abroad, the New York Times reported.

A fragile economy and fiery reaction

Friday’s release of July’s jobs report showed a sharp slowdown in hiring, reinforcing signs that the US economy—though stable—has cooled significantly over the summer. But instead of addressing the economic concerns directly, Mr. Trump attacked the credibility of the data. He claimed the numbers had been falsified to tarnish his record and promptly dismissed Erika McEntarfer, the Trump-appointed and Senate-confirmed BLS commissioner.

“I believe the numbers were phony,” Trump told reporters. “So you know what I did? I fired her, and you know what I did? The right thing.”

McEntarfer’s termination sparked immediate backlash from economists and former officials across the political spectrum. William Beach, a Trump-nominated former BLS chief, warned the firing would damage the independence of the federal statistical system, calling the decision “groundless” and politically motivated.

A nuclear provocation goes global

While domestic tensions ran high, Trump also found himself on edge over Russia’s recent posture. After Dmitri Medvedev, former Russian president turned inflammatory propagandist, mocked Trump on social media with veiled threats of nuclear war, the president ordered US submarines “into appropriate regions” as a deterrent.

The extraordinary move followed weeks of deteriorating relations between Trump and Russian President Vladimir V. Putin. Trump, once confident he could end the Ukraine war within days of taking office, has grown disillusioned with Putin’s defiance and mounting attacks in the region.

“This is not the way a president responds,” said former National Security Adviser John Bolton. “He’s not fit to be president.”

Institutional defiance and executive overreach

Trump’s growing impatience has led to a pattern of targeting officials who contradict him or fail to carry out his agenda. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has borne the brunt of this fury. Trump, furious over Powell’s refusal to slash interest rates, has falsely accused him of mismanaging the central bank’s renovation project and demanded his resignation after the jobs report.

Aides say Trump is simply delivering on campaign promises by leveraging all available powers. But critics say his actions increasingly reflect a president consumed with punishing critics and rewarding loyalists—regardless of legal or diplomatic norms.

Trump’s Brazil interference raises further alarms

Earlier this week, Trump took the unprecedented step of imposing US sanctions on a Brazilian Supreme Court justice overseeing a criminal case against Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing ally. The move followed lobbying by Bolsonaro’s son and triggered concerns that Trump is using US foreign policy tools to influence democratic processes abroad.

Trump’s aggressive moves—on jobs data, central banking, and foreign diplomacy—mark a deepening trend in his second term: a presidency increasingly shaped by personal score-settling and an unrestrained use of executive power.