Data is the lifeblood of the federal government, and vital to businesses who depend on it for crucial economic decisions. It can no longer be trusted. Because without reliable numbers, we cannot even begin the work of understanding our problems, let alone solving them.

 Trump has discovered a simple trick: If he doesn’t like the number, he changes it. He wants to “Sharpie” not just storms, but data about jobs, the economy and health. If he wants favorable ratings, he’ll choose pollsters who will deliver the answer he’s looking for. The number may look correct, but the methodology behind it is rigged. 

Of course, that’s not how it works. Reality doesn’t bend to satisfy a wannabe tyrant’s ego. A poll stacked with supporters doesn’t reflect real public opinion, and unemployed workers don’t just disappear because you fudged the data. 

Data is the lifeblood of the federal government. 

For generations, federal statistics have been the compass by which Americans navigated storms, both literal and political. Data is the lifeblood of the federal government. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us whether the economy is growing or shrinking. The Census Bureau counts the population that determines political power and federal funding. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks outbreaks and mortality rates, while the Environmental Protection Agency measures the pollutants in the air we breathe and the water we drink.

Those numbers/facts are no longer trustworthy, like the wannabe dictator who is controlling them.

Good luck, to all those whose job it is to make decisions based a real numbers. 

Those days are GONE.