‘You’ve Blown Both of Them’: Elizabeth Warren Shreds Trump Nominee for Dodging Questions

Michael LucianoSep 4th, 2025, 7:25 pm

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) repeatedly tried to get a nominee to the Federal Reserve board to answer “straightforward questions,” but he dodged each time.

The nominee, Stephen Miran, was chosen by President Donald Trump to complete the unfinished term of Adriana Kugler, who resigned in August.

Appearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday, Miran, who currently serves as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, received a grilling from Warren. The senator told Miran she wanted to test his ability to be independent from Trump and resist any influence the president would hope to wield over him while serving on the board:

WARREN: Did Donald Trump lose the 2020 presidential election?

MIRAN: Thank you, Senator Warren. Joe Biden was certified by Congress as the president of the United States.

WARREN: Right, so did Donald Trump lose that election?

MIRAN: Um, as I just said, Joe Biden was–

WARREN: Did Donald Trump lose that election? Can you say the words, “Donald Trump lost that election”? Are you independent enough to say that.

MIRAN: The Congress certified Joe Biden.

WARREN: Wooo, all right. So, that was one. Let’s try another. Let me ask you another question here. The Federal Reserve relies on accurate monetary policy, including data produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. President Trump recently fired the BLS commissioner, alleging she “faked the jobs numbers before the election to try to boost Kamala’s chances of victory.” Do you agree with President Trump, that the BLS published fake numbers to manipulate the outcome of the 2024 presidential election?

MIRAN: Thank you for the question, Ranking Member Warren. Look, the data quality from the–

WARREN: That’s not a question about the data quality. Did, as President Trump said, the BLS publish fake numbers to manipulate the outcome of the 2024 presidential election? This is what President Trump said. Is he right? You’re the head of the Council of Economic Advisers.

MIRAN: The Bureau of Labor Statistics data on various measures deteriorated steadily and quality over time.

WARREN: I understand that you may have questions about the data quality, but I want to remind you that when the data seemed to show that Donald Trump’s jobs numbers were doing well, I didn’t hear you say a single word about problems with data quality. The only time you started questioning data quality was when the numbers started showing that Trump’s economy was headed in the wrong direction.

So, let me ask you the question for the third time. We want to understand your independence. Donald Trump stated that the BLS “faked the job numbers before the election to try and boost Kamala’s chances of victory.” Do you agree with that? Yes or no?

MIRAN: The Bureau of Labor Statistics did not take corrective action to improve the quality of steadily–

WARREN: Do you agree with the statement that they faked numbers?

MIRAN: I believe that they were complacently allowing the data–

WARREN: Do you have any evidence that they faked numbers?

MIRAN: Well, as I said moments ago, the data have steadily deteriorated in quality and I’m happy to–

WARREN: Ok, in other words, just two straightforward questions about your independence, and you’ve blown both of them.

So, let’s shift to the inflation caused by [the] president’s economic policies, which you’ve had a key role in designing. You’ve claimed, for example, that consumers thus far have not seen any material macroeconomic increase from tariffs at all. Your statement. The numbers do not back you up. Since January, cost of groceries is up, cost of utilities is up, cost of housing is up, cost of back-to-school shoes is up, cost of backpacks and baby strollers up, up.

Dr. Miran, the data say that costs for basic necessities are going up, but it’s not just the reported numbers. Fed Governor Waller – who President Trump appointed – private sector forecasters, small businesses, and families are all telling us that the costs are up, up, up. Do you think those families and data experts are lying?

MIRAN: Senator, thank you for the question. I believe your question is conflating relative price increases with inflation, which is an increase in the aggregate price level. There has been no detectable increase in the average price level as a result of tariffs–

WARREN: You know, Dr. Miran, you have made clear that you will do or say whatever Donald Trump wants you to do or say. And that may work in a political position, but it takes an ax to Fed independence and will make life far more expensive for American families.