The White House is reviewing its protocols for handling sensitive economic data after President Donald Trump prematurely disclosed key jobs figures on his Truth Social platform, an action economists called „unprecedented” and a potential violation of federal policy. According to a White House official, the disclosure was „inadvertent” and occurred following routine presidential briefings on upcoming economic reports. However, Office of Management and Budget policy strictly prohibits executive branch officials from commenting on or releasing market-moving statistics before their official publication by agencies like the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and mandates a quiet period for at least 30 minutes after release. While presidents are traditionally briefed in advance, those briefings are treated as confidential.
Economists highlighted the seriousness of the breach. Bharat Kumar of Futures First confirmed the figures in Trump’s post matched the final jobs report, while University of Michigan professor Justin Wolfers stated no prior administration had ever released such data ahead of schedule, remarking, „No serious country does this.” The December jobs report ultimately showed a gain of 50,000 nonfarm payrolls, primarily in healthcare and social assistance, which eased market fears of a sharper slowdown. Despite the potential for market disruption, the immediate impact was muted, partly because the disclosure occurred on Truth Social—a platform with a very limited audience—and the data itself was complicated by large revisions to prior months.
The White House pushed back against media criticism, arguing the focus should be on the positive economic trends rather than what it deemed a minor protocol lapse. An official statement suggested the media was „grasping at straws to foment another fake controversy” and should instead cover how Trump’s policies are „laying the groundwork for an economic resurgence.” The incident underscores ongoing tensions between the administration and press, while raising questions about data security and the integrity of economic disclosures. Some outlets, like the Financial Times, noted the irony of a leak on a platform few use, pondering whether such a disclosure even matters if it fails to move markets.
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Forrás: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/white-house-says-reviewing-protocols-193323563.html.