'This is so dangerous': Trump's efforts to 'make us all poorer' shock former GOP lawmaker
A former Republican lawmaker expressed shock at some of President Donald Trump's efforts to control economic data in the United States.
Trump's move to fire the Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, after she published a jobs report showing almost no growth during Trump's first quarter as president, set off alarm bells for Former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL).
Curbello joined MSNBC's Alex Witt on Sunday to discuss the news.
"This is so dangerous," Curbelo said.
"The reason we are the greatest country in the world, with the greatest economy in the world, is that there has been a lot of trust that's been built over the decades in our society," Curbelo added. "People trust statistics. They know that the government, even though there are a lot of disagreements, when they have to come out and tell us what's going on in terms of the economy and jobs, that those numbers are accurate."
Since the beginning of his second term, Trump has sought to control the perception of his administration. Those efforts include firing independent watchdogs, attacking lawmakers who disagree with him, and staffing federal agencies with loyalists.
Curbelo added that these moves have made the U.S. less trustworthy on the global stage, which could hinder Trump's economy going forward.
"We are losing trust in our society," Curbelo said. "That will make us all poorer."