On multiple fronts, the Trump administration faces accusations of data manipulation

Critics inside and outside the government are accusing the Trump administration of tampering with official statistics, a pattern that MS NOW commentator Steve Benen says is eroding trust in federal data. The clearest example involves immigration. Marc Rosenblum, who ran the Department of Homeland Security's statistics office before resigning over the summer, published an estimate that between 790,000 and 1. 9 million immigrants left the country from Jan. 20, 2025, to July 31, 2026. The administration says it has removed more than 3 million people. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has declined to release supporting details, telling CNN's Dana Bash that releasing numbers invites people to pick them apart.

Other agencies draw similar complaints. FBI Director Kash Patel's bureau has long faced claims of shaping figures for political ends, and MS NOW reported that it inflated its arrest total by counting arrests carried out by state and local police. Politico reported that the IRS held back scheduled data on the effects of the 2025 Republican tax-cut package, with no explanation offered.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →