In a stunning development that’s shaking Washington and Wall Street alike, President Donald J. Trump and top economist Stephen Moore have publicly exposed a massive statistical deception at the heart of the Biden administration’s so-called “economic recovery.” The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has quietly revised its jobs data, revealing that more than 1.5 million jobs previously claimed under President Biden’s watch never existed.
“This is fraud by spreadsheet,” Trump said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago. “They cooked the books to sell the lie that Joe Biden was building the economy. Turns out, it was all smoke and mirrors.”
What Actually Happened?
Every year, the BLS performs what’s called a “benchmark revision”—an update to previously released job numbers using more complete data from unemployment insurance filings. This year’s revision was an atomic bomb.
From March 2022 to March 2023, the BLS had originally claimed over 2.8 million jobs were created. After recalculating using real tax and payroll data, they walked that number down by over 1.5 million—a stunning 55% overcount.
Moore, co-founder of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity and a former Trump economic adviser, explained:
“These weren’t just optimistic projections—they were deliberate distortions used to falsely portray economic momentum that didn’t exist.”
A Pattern of Political Gaslighting
This isn’t a one-off. It fits a disturbing pattern:
Redefining Recession: In 2022, the White House attempted to redefine what qualifies as a recession to avoid admitting the economy had contracted for two consecutive quarters. Underreporting Inflation: The CPI (Consumer Price Index) consistently underestimated real inflation pressures while food and energy costs soared beyond what the averages reflected. Manipulating Job Quality: The administration also failed to differentiate between full-time, part-time, and multiple job holders. Many “new jobs” were simply Americans taking on second or third part-time jobs to make ends meet in a crushing economy.
The result? An economic narrative propped up by illusion while working-class Americans felt the squeeze.
Why It Matters
The Biden administration rode these inflated job numbers hard—using them to justify massive federal spending, high interest rates, and campaign messaging claiming “record growth.”
But the fallout is real.
Markets Reacting
Economists now question whether the Fed’s decisions to hold interest rates steady were based on faulty job data, potentially stalling or harming recovery. Voter Mistrust Deepens: For a president already suffering from credibility issues, this undercuts one of Biden’s few perceived strengths: economic stewardship. Investigations Incoming: Multiple GOP lawmakers are calling for immediate hearings, suggesting the BLS may have violated its mandate for nonpartisan, independent analysis.
“This is statistical manipulation for political ends,” said Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN). “It’s worse than misinformation—it’s disinformation funded by taxpayer dollars.”
The Trump Administration’s Response
Trump wasted no time connecting the dots.
“This is what they do: lie, inflate, distract. They rigged the data, just like they rig elections, and they’ll do it again unless we stop them.”
Expect this scandal to become a central theme of Trump’s 2024 messaging: You were lied to. They faked the recovery. It’s time to take our country back.
Where’s the Accountability?
Calls are growing for:
A full audit of BLS data practices during Biden’s term. Testimony from Labor Secretary Julie Su and senior statisticians. A congressional subpoena for all internal memos related to jobs reporting.
If proven to be deliberate, this could be one of the most explosive economic scandals in recent U.S. history.
Sources:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Benchmark Revisions Stephen Moore
Committee to Unleash Prosperity Fox Business: Biden Jobs Overcount Exposed
