Trump news at a glance: ‘credibility’ of US economics data at risk, say experts, as president fires labor official

Trump's own former statistics chief denounces move as groundless' and dangerous'. Key US politics stories from Friday 1 August at a glance

After Donald Trump ordered the firing of a federal government official in charge of labor statistics, experts and opposition politicians have expressed alarm that the credibility" of US economic data was at risk.

The US president claimed without evidence that Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of labor statistics, had rigged" job numbers in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad", after data showed jobs growth stalled this summer, prompting accusations that the president was firing the messenger".