Donald Trump is creating a new controversy after firing the head of one of the United States' most important economic institutions, just because the institution's reported jobs data raised concerns about his tariff policy.

According to the BBC, Trump claimed, without evidence, that Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, had"fixed" the data to make him look bad - "to make Republicans and me look bad."

"A weak leader who kills the messenger"

Trump's highly controversial move has sparked harsh accusations that it could destroy public trust by politicizing official data.

The president is"a weak leader who kills the messenger," said Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic minority leader.

Stock markets reacted strongly after Trump continued unhindered in moving forward with his plans to raise import tariffs on goods around the world.

"The economy is humming under Trump," Trump wrote.

Not necessarily in support of McEntarfer, but rather to support a reality, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released data showing that US employers added only 73,000 jobs in July, well below the forecast of 109,000.

It also revised downward employment growth for May and June, reporting 250,000 fewer jobs than previously estimated.

Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, said the"labor market is deteriorating rapidly" due to uncertainty over Trump's tariffs and the jobs figures are "at a turning point."

"The economy is booming under Trump," Trump wrote on social media, trying to dismiss concerns about his tariff plans, arguing they would boost US manufacturing and balance global trade.

"The kind of thing that happens in authoritarian countries"

The data from the week ending, coupled with a series of company statements regarding tariff costs, made these predictions hard to ignore.

"Firing the head of a key government agency just because you don't like the reported numbers - which come from surveys conducted according to established procedures - is the kind of thing that happens in authoritarian countries, not democratic ones," commented Larry Summers, former US Treasury Secretary.

Other criticisms came from other groups:"When leaders of other nations politicized economic data, they destroyed public trust in all official statistics and government science."

McEntarfer called her time as commissioner "the honor of my life" and described the agency's work as "vital and important."