[ONLINE] Firings of BLS commissioner, Federal Reserve governor, CDC director

This event is part of an occasional SFDebate series that we call "cancellation of the month", where we pick someone who has been in the news for having lost a job, a platform, a contract, or a nomination, and there is a lot of public debate, usually polarized, about whether or not the person deserved it. We look at the reasons given for the "cancellation", and discuss whether or not we think those were good reasons. Then at the end, we vote on our approval or disapproval of the "cancellation."

This time, we'll debate the merits of President Trump's decisions to fire three federal officials in August of 2025:

1. On August 1, the president fired Erika McEntarfer, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, who had held that position since January of 2024 after being nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the Senate. In a post on Truth Social, President Trump wrote:
   "I was just informed that our Country’s “Jobs Numbers” are being produced by a Biden Appointee, Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the Commissioner of Labor Statistics, who faked the Jobs Numbers before the Election to try and boost Kamala’s chances of Victory. This is the same Bureau of Labor Statistics that overstated the Jobs Growth in March 2024 by approximately 818,000 and, then again, right before the 2024 Presidential Election, in August and September, by 112,000. These were Records — No one can be that wrong? We need accurate Jobs Numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified. Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes. McEntarfer said there were only 73,000 Jobs added (a shock!) but, more importantly, that a major mistake was made by them, 258,000 Jobs downward, in the prior two months. Similar things happened in the first part of the year, always to the negative."
2. On August 25, the president fired Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors since May of 2022 after her appointment by President Biden and confirmation by the Senate. In a public letter to her, President Trump said, "I have determined that there is sufficient cause to remove you from your position" because "there is sufficient reason to believe you may have made false statements on one or more mortgage agreements. For example, as detailed in the Criminal Referral, you signed one document attesting that a property in Michigan would be your primary residence for the next year. Two weeks later, you signed another document for a property in Georgia stating that it would be your primary residence for the next year. It is inconceivable that you were not aware of your first commitment when making the second. It is impossible that you intended to honor both."
   This is the first time that a Federal Reserve Governor has been removed by the president. Dr. Cook has responded by suing the president, saying that her firing is illegal.
3. On August 27, the Department of Health and Human Services announced, "Susan Monarez is no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." Dr. Monarez had held that position since July 31, 2025, having been appointed by President Trump and confirmed by the Senate. Dr. Monarez's lawyers announced later the same day, "Dr. Monarez has neither resigned nor received notification from the White House that she has been fired, and as a person of integrity and devoted to science, she will not resign." Then after that, a White House spokesman announced, "Susan Monarez is not aligned with the President’s agenda of Making America Healthy Again. Since Susan Monarez refused to resign despite informing leadership of her intent to do so, the White House has terminated Monarez from her position with the CDC."

Were these good reasons to terminate these appointments? Do they strengthen or weaken public confidence in the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Reserve, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? Come to SFDebate and discuss!

Our meeting will be conducted on Zoom. The Zoom link will be visible here on the event page before the event to those who RSVP. It's your choice if you want to turn on your camera or not, but people who can be seen are often more persuasive. At SFDebate, everyone gets a chance to speak and is encouraged to do so, but no one is required to speak if they don't want to.