Leaders historically react negatively to unfavorable news, as seen in ancient plays and literature. In August 2025, President Trump dismissed Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer following a negative jobs report, claiming the statistics were faked without evidence and expressing a long-standing distrust of negative numbers. This reaction parallels the authoritarian tendencies seen in leaders like Vladimir Putin, who manipulate inconvenient narratives and economic data to maintain favorable public perceptions.
The ancient Greek play "Antigone" by Sophocles warns that "no one loves the messenger who brings bad news" and "no man delights in the bearer of bad news."
In August 2025, President Trump dismissed Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer immediately after a negative jobs report, claiming without evidence that the numbers were faked.
Trump stated, "I've had issues with the numbers for a long time. We're doing so well. I believe the numbers were phony like they were before the election."
Trump's actions echo a historical pattern of leaders manipulating narratives, reminiscent of Russian President Putin's track record of rewriting inconvenient statistics.
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