VIEWPOINT | To aid the economy, Trump must restore confidence in institutions
Column by Veronique de Rugy
The Trump administration stands on the cusp of something potentially transformative. If President Donald Trump succeeds in unleashing a new era of energy abundance and securing America’s leadership in artificial intelligence, the economic gains will be profound. Lower energy costs, faster innovation and greater industrial dynamism would provide a powerful tailwind to American productivity and growth.
But if the president continues to treat disagreement as disloyalty – especially from vital, independent agencies such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Congressional Budget Office – then Trump’s second term could leave a dark mark on the country. He has been bullying the chair of the Federal Reserve for months. The president and his proxies launched nonstop attacks on the CBO during the One Big Beautiful Bill debate. And now, Trump has fired the head of the statistics bureau in response to its latest jobs report.
It’s ugly business. Some of these agencies are not just recordkeepers of past economic activity; they are part of the infrastructure of a modern, data-driven economy. From jobseekers and entrepreneurs to homeowners and policymakers, nearly every consequential decision in modern America depends on the credibility and quality of the numbers these agencies produce. In an era shaped by AI, energy transformation and digitized commerce, the United States needs a statistical system that is modern, agile and protected from political interference.
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