President Donald Trump has signed an executive order officially changing the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
Often referred to as the Pentagon after its distinct headquarters in Virginia, the Department of Defense was named so following the end of the Second World War. Trump called the move, during the presidency of Harry Truman, “woke.”
Both the president and newly retitled Secretary of War Pete Hegseth have advocated for the name change. The rebranding is part of the Trump administration's “warrior ethos” campaign, which has included renaming bases and ships and banning books.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Hegseth promised “maximum lethality — not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct. We’re gonna raise up warriors. Not just defenders.”
In other news, the latest jobs numbers show employment growth is worse than expected. New data is the latest since Trump dramatically fired the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, last month.
The U.S added just 22,000 jobs in August, worse than economists predicted, as the job market continues to cool amid the knock-on effects from Trump’s trade war with tariffs. Unemployment increased to 4.3 percent, the highest since 2021
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Key points
- Trump is changing the Pentagon to the Department of War. It could cost taxpayers over $1B
- Hegseth promises 'maximum lethality, not tepid legality' in newly named Department of War
- ANALYSIS: Trump’s throwback to ‘Department of War’ signals a retreat from modern world into past glory
- US jobs growth worse than expected in first report since Trump fired agency head
- Trump posts lengthy rant blaming Democrats for handling of Epstein case
- ANALYSIS: There’s no more denying it – Trump risks a recession on his watch
Good morning, here's what's coming up today at the White House
Friday 5 September 2025 14:34
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Oliver O'Connell
Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of the Trump administration, from the White House and beyond.
President Donald Trump’s schedule today is as follows:
10:30 a.m. — The president receives his intelligence briefing in the Oval Office.
12:00 p.m. — The president participates in an Ambassador Credentialing Ceremony in the Oval Office.
2:00 p.m. — The president signs Executive Orders in the Oval Office.
4:00 p.m. The president makes an announcement from the Oval Office.
7:00 p.m. — The president hosts a dinner in the Rose Garden.
Trump to change Pentagon’s name to ‘Department of War’
Friday 5 September 2025 14:36
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Friday that will officially change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
The agency's name was changed to the Department of Defense following the end of the Second World War.
Here’s Graig Graziosi in Washington, D.C. with the details:
June and July jobs numbers revised too in latest report
Friday 5 September 2025 14:43
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Oliver O'Connell
Not only did the jobs numbers for August come in below expectations, but the latest jobs report also revised job growth in June and July.
There were 27,000 fewer jobs created in June, resulting in a net loss of 13,000 for the month.
For July, the numbers were up by 6,000, meaning a net gain of 79,000 jobs for the month.
DUN DUN DUN -- Fox Business announces that the 22,000 jobs added in August are "much less than the expectation of 75,000" and that they June and July numbers were revised down as well pic.twitter.com/lVxz9LfZzQ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 5, 2025
Full story: US jobs growth worse than expected in first report since Trump fired agency head
Friday 5 September 2025 14:50
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Oliver O'Connell
U.S. jobs growth is worse than expected, according to the first federal report since President Donald Trump dramatically fired the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner Erika McEntarfer last month.
The U.S added just 22,000 jobs in August, worse than economists predicted, as the job market continues to cool amid Trump’s trade war, according to the latest employment figures from the agency.
Unemployment increased to 4.3 percent, the highest since 2021, according to Bloomberg.
Rhian Lubin reports from New York.
Stocks higher, bond yields lower as weak jobs report helps case for Fed rate cut
Friday 5 September 2025 14:57
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Oliver O'Connell
Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.2 per cent in pre-market trading on Friday, with Nasdaq futures gaining 0.6 per cent, propelled by another strong earnings report from chipmaker Broadcom. However, futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average saw a slight decline.
In the bond market, Treasury yields fell after the government announced U..S employers added just 22,000 jobs last month. This indicated a continued cooling of the labor market amidst uncertainty over economic policies, particularly tariffs.
The slowdown in the job market could bolster the case for the Federal Reserve to cut its main interest rate, a possibility already signalled by Fed Chair Jerome Powell. A rate cut, potentially announced at the 16-17 September meeting, could reduce other borrowing costs across the economy, including mortgages, car loans, and business loans.
Trump to establish new designation for 'state sponsors of wrongful detention'
Friday 5 September 2025 15:00
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump is reportedly set to issue an executive order as early as today, establishing a new designation for “state sponsors of wrongful detention.”
This move, reported by CBS News, would grant the United States the authority to penalise countries found to be illegally detaining or taking U.S. nationals hostage.
Trump posts lengthy rant blaming Democrats for handling of Epstein case
Friday 5 September 2025 15:09
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump has posted a lengthy rant aimed at Democrats, accusing them of doing nothing about the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein when he was alive, and only now suddenly being concerned for his victims.
He claims Democrats befriended Epstein, socialized with him, traveled to his island, and took his money.
Trump and Epstein were close friends throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s before they fell out in 2004. The financier had a wide circle of contacts and friendships with many influential people.
The child sex offender was first investigated for his crimes in 2005, and convicted in 2008 as part of a controversial plea deal with then-U.S. Attorney for South Florida, Alex Acosta — now Trump’s Secretary of Labor.
Epstein was arrested again in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and died in his jail cell in New York while awaiting trial.
Here’s the president’s post in full:
The confused and badly failing Democrat Party did nothing about Jeffrey Epstein while he was alive except befriend him, socialize with him, travel to his Island, and take his money! They knew everything there was to know about Epstein, but now, years after his death, they, out of nowhere, are seeming to show such love and heartfelt concern for his victims. Does anybody really believe that? Where were they during his very public trials, and for all of those years before his death? The answer is, “nowhere to be found.” The now dying (after the DOJ gave thousands of pages of documents in full compliance with a very comprehensive and exacting Subpoena from Congress!) Epstein case was only brought back to life by the Radical Left Democrats because they are doing so poorly, with the lowest poll numbers in the history of the Party (16%), while the Republicans are doing so well, among the highest approval numbers the Party has ever had! The Dems don’t care about the victims, as proven by the fact that they never did before. This is merely another Democrat HOAX, just like Russia, Russia, Russia, and all of the others, in order to deflect and distract from the great success of a Republican President, and the record setting failure of the previous Administration, and the Democrat Party. The Department of Justice has done its job, they have given everything requested of them. It’s time to end the Democrat Epstein Hoax, and give the Republicans credit for the great, even legendary, job that they are doing. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!
And here’s Eric Garcia with the latest on the Epstein case after this week’s rally by survivors and lawmakers:
‘I’m still here’: Trump again addresses death rumors ahead of dinner with top tech CEOs (minus Musk)
Friday 5 September 2025 15:30
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump has again addressed rumors that he had died over the holiday weekend, telling reporters, “I’m still here,” ahead of a dinner with top tech CEOs minus his former “first buddy,” Elon Musk.
On Thursday night, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, who earlier in the day hosted a meeting of the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education, were joined by the likes of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft founder Bill Gates for dinner in the State Dining Room of the White House.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman were also on the guest list, along with several other tech executives.
Rachel Dobkin filed this report on the gathering last night.
Pentagon cancels classified briefing about strike on Venezuelan vessel
Friday 5 September 2025 15:33
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Oliver O'Connell
The Defense Department has canceled a classified briefing for Congressional leaders and key Hill committees concerning a recent strike on an alleged Venezuelan “drug cartel boat.”
The briefing, scheduled for Friday morning, was called off without explanation, according to an anonymous source familiar with the plans who spoke with the Associated Press. The individual was not authorised to speak publicly.
Full story: Trump says it’s time to end Epstein ‘hoax’ and tries to blame Democrats for ‘befriending’ and ‘socializing’ with him
Friday 5 September 2025 15:38
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump on Friday once again lashed out over calls from members of both parties for his administration to release case files associated with probes into the deceased sex offender — his onetime friend — Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, D.C.:
Watch: White House economic adviser comments on jobs numbers
Friday 5 September 2025 15:42
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Oliver O'Connell
Kevin Hassett on the jobs numbers: "This is a lower number than seems like you would normally get." pic.twitter.com/CP3a4bloyx
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) September 5, 2025
House Oversight to get access to Epstein estate documents next week
Friday 5 September 2025 15:48
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Oliver O'Connell
MSNBC legal correspondent Lisa Rubin, citing a source familiar with the matter, reports that when House Oversight Committee staff are granted access next week to unredacted versions of documents from Jeffrey Epstein's estate, those documents are expected to include the original version of the birthday book, flight logs, phone logs/message pads, and records of financial transactions.
The source also tells MSNBC that the redactions will be made solely to protect the identities and identifying details of known and potential victims, not any other third parties, such as male friends and associates of Epstein.
The source also tells MSNBC that the redactions will be made solely to protect the identities and identifying details of known and potential victims, and not any other third parties, such as male friends and associates of Epstein. FIN.
— Lisa Rubin (@lawofruby) September 5, 2025
Trump goes on a tear over ‘psychopathic nut job’ Jerry Nadler after veteran Democrat announces retirement
Friday 5 September 2025 15:49
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump has lashed out at veteran New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, days after he announced his retirement, labeling him a “psychotic nut job.”
Trump was up early on Friday morning to blast Nadler, 78, on Truth Social, digging up resentments from years past to give the representative a vicious send-off.
Joe Sommerlad reports.
White House responds to latest jobs report
Friday 5 September 2025 15:51
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Oliver O'Connell
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has responded to the latest jobs report on X.
She wrote:
Since President Trump took office, he has created more than half a million good-paying jobs in the private sector that have ALL gone to American-born workers.
President Trump is reshoring our manufacturing industry and the biggest companies in the world are making unprecedented investments to build here in America.
Clearly, President Trump is implementing the most aggressive pro-growth agenda in our country’s history, but this agenda continues to be held back by Jerome “Too Late” Powell’s foolish refusal to admit that President Trump is right about everything.
It’s time for the Fed to finally do the right thing on behalf of the American people and cut the rates.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, posted a short message on Truth Social:
Jerome “Too Late” Powell should have lowered rates long ago. As usual, he’s “Too Late!”
Hundreds detained during Georgia immigration raid on Hyundai EV factory
Friday 5 September 2025 15:57
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Oliver O'Connell
As many as 475 people were detained during an immigration raid at a sprawling Georgia site where South Korean auto company Hyundai manufactures electric vehicles, a Homeland Security official confirmed.
Steven Schrank, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations, spoke at a news briefing in Savannah on Friday. No charges were immediately announced. Schrank added: “This operation underscores our commitment to jobs for Georgians and Americans.”
South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jaewoong described the number of detained South Koreans as “large,” though he did not provide an exact figure.
Many of those arrested had temporary visas for tourism and business travel that are not authorized for work, including South Korean nationals, the official told Reuters.
Trump scraps Biden plan for airlines to compensate travelers for delays
Friday 5 September 2025 16:03
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Oliver O'Connell
The Trump administration is abandoning a Biden-era plan that would require airlines to pay passengers cash and cover expenses for carrier flight delays and cancellations, dealing a major blow to consumer protections amid record-high numbers of government complaints from travelers.
A proposed federal rule change initiated by Joe Biden’s administration in 2023 would require airlines to compensate passengers up to $775 as well as for the costs of meals, hotel stays and rebooking fees in cases where flights were delayed or cancelled due to issues under the companies’ control, like mechanical failures.
Alex Woodward has the story.
Lawmakers respond to 'concerning' jobs report as Republican says number 'suspect'
Friday 5 September 2025 16:13
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Oliver O'Connell
Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Republican Rep. Randy Fine of Florida shared their thoughts on today’s jobs report on CNN News Central this morning.
Hassan told anchor Kate Bolduan that the “concerning” August report is evidence “President Trump’s economic policies aren’t working.”
“Look, this report is really concerning. President Trump's economic policies aren't working. Prices are up. Manufacturing is contracting. This is a result of, among other things, the president's reckless tariffs,” she said.
“What I hear from businesses and consumers is that there's so much uncertainty in the economy. Prices are going up. The tariffs are like a sales tax for everyday Americans. And so businesses don't know whether to invest or hire because there's so much uncertainty. And it's a direct result of what Donald Trump and his administration are doing.”
Bolduan pressed Fine on the suggestion that there is “reason to be suspect” of the job reports’ numbers.
“When the numbers are always wrong in one direction, you — you have reason to be suspect,” said the congressman.
“There's no evidence of that,” countered Bolduan.
“Well, I think that when there's problems with methodology, sometimes it's intentional, sometimes it's not,” Fine replied.
Bolduan interjected: “Do you think it was intentional?”
Fine continued: “But when the numbers are always wrong in one direction, there's a reason to have — I think the methodologies were problematic, and we see this in all kinds of things, where numbers always tend to benefit the left, and when the facts come out, they don't anymore. And so I think the president did the right thing there, and we'll see what these numbers are like today.”
Trump’s nominee to lead BLS accused of trolling top Democrats with offensive Twitter account
Friday 5 September 2025 16:41
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics once ran an offensive Twitter account that posted misogynistic and homophobic abuse and entertained conspiracy theories, according to a report.
EJ Antoni, 37 – an economist with the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think-tank behind the Project 2025 agenda for Trump’s second term – ran the account from 2015 to 2020, but it has since been deleted, CNN reported.
Joe Sommerlad reports.
Jeffries: August jobs report sign of ‘dangerous one-man command economy’
Friday 5 September 2025 16:50
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Oliver O'Connell
Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the leading House Democrat, issued a stark warning after the August jobs report, stating it is the “latest indication that Donald Trump is crashing our economy in real time and driving us toward a recession.” He also described the economic situation as a “dangerous one-man command economy.”
The latest figures show the U.S. added about 22,000 jobs in August, marking a recent low, while the employment rate rose to its highest level since 2021. President Trump has previously criticized this jobs data, which is collected by the nonpartisan Bureau for Labor Statistics. Last month, Trump replaced the agency’s head, appointing an economist affiliated with the conservative Heritage Foundation.
Jeffries, a New York Democrat, continued his criticism, asserting that “life is becoming increasingly more expensive while unemployment is the highest in years.”
He also condemned the Republicans’ signature tax and spending law, claiming it is “saddling the economy with trillions of dollars in debt” and has led to cuts in health and social welfare programs “in order to enact massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors.”
White House says US. will enforce foreign worker laws after Hyundai raid
Friday 5 September 2025 16:52
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Oliver O'Connell
The Trump administration will enforce laws requiring foreign workers to have proper authorization to be in the United States, the White House said on Friday after immigration authorities raided a Hyundai facility in Georgia.
“Any foreign workers brought in for specific projects must enter the United States legally and with proper work authorizations,” said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson.
“President Trump will continue delivering on his promise to make the United States the best place in the world to do business, while also enforcing federal immigration laws.”
Youth unemployment climbs higher
Friday 5 September 2025 17:15
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Oliver O'Connell
Youth unemployment (ages 16-24) has climbed to 10.5 percent.
Wow. The unemployment rate for 16-24 year-olds is now at 10.5% pic.twitter.com/AUoykFLbwu
— Kevin Gordon (@KevRGordon) September 5, 2025
The Independent’s Eric Garcia wonders whether a poor job market might shape voting habits going forward.
“Many young people as a whole voted for Trump in reaction to closed schools during Covid and masks. They did not get major milestones others did. Will a bad job market shape their voting habits the way the Great Recession shaped millennials?”
Trump administration gives multiple reasons for poor jobs report
Friday 5 September 2025 17:32
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Oliver O'Connell
Matthew Gertz, senior fellow at Media Matters for America, notes that members of the Trump administration have offered three completely different explanations for today’s poor jobs numbers.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told Fox News that the reason is a function of survey response rates and will be revised upward.
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer told Fox Business that bad numbers are Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's fault for not cutting interest rates.
Chavez-DeRemer on Fox Business: "Jerome Powell should be embarrassed by this report because he has not done his job. The president was right in 2016 and the presidents is right now... He needs to lower that interest rate." pic.twitter.com/VjCyy3Z248
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) September 5, 2025
And Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC that the jobs numbers “will get better because you'll take out the people who are just trying to create noise against the president ... this is gonna be the greatest growth economy six months from now, a year from today.”
Lutnick says the jobs numbers "will get better because you'll take out the people who are just trying to create noise against the president ... this is gonna be the greatest growth economy six months from now, a year from today" pic.twitter.com/X4xsvNuefe
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 5, 2025
Gertz further says on X: “If the jobs picture is actually much better than the numbers indicate, either because they will be revised up or [have] been sabotaged, then what's the argument for cutting interest rates the way Trump is demanding?”
Newsom trolls Trump over jobs numbers (and Epstein)
Friday 5 September 2025 17:40
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Oliver O'Connell
How bad are today’s job numbers?
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 5, 2025
Trump talking Epstein bad.
Which reminds us, release the files! pic.twitter.com/cxJ2tUWQzF
Even the NRA is against Trump team plan to ban trans people from owning firearms
Friday 5 September 2025 17:59
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Oliver O'Connell
News of a potential plan from Donald Trump’s administration to block transgender Americans from owning firearms was met with an avalanche of opposition — including from major Second Amendment groups historically aligned with Republicans.
The National Rifle Association, among the nation’s largest and most influential lobbying groups, said “the Second Amendment isn’t up for debate.”
“The NRA supports the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans to purchase, possess and use firearms,” the group said in a statement Friday.
Alex Woodward reports.
Updated: President Donald Trump's schedule today
Friday 5 September 2025 18:16
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Oliver O'Connell
The Oval Office events previously scheduled for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. have now been combined into one event at 4 p.m. that will be open to the White House press pool.
President Donald Trump’s updated schedule for the remainder of the day is now as follows:
2:00 p.m. — The president signs Executive Orders in the Oval Office.
4:00 p.m. The president signs Executive Orders and makes an announcement from the Oval Office.
7:00 p.m. — The president hosts a dinner in the Rose Garden.
Democrat lawmaker slams Trump admin for calling unemployed 'nonexistent'
Friday 5 September 2025 18:22
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Oliver O'Connell
Rep. Don Breyer calls Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s comments about unemployment being statistically “nonexistent” a “stunningly awful and dishonest thing to say.”
The Trump Administration's message to 7.4 million unemployed Americans is that "statistically" they are "nonexistent."
— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) September 5, 2025
A stunningly awful and dishonest thing to say. https://t.co/u6fxrxyEMt
Hegseth claims he has ‘absolute and complete authority’ to kill suspected drug gang members
Friday 5 September 2025 18:37
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Oliver O'Connell
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said that the United States has the authority to kill suspected drug smugglers after President Donald Trump ordered the blowing up of a Venezuelan boat that was thought to be carrying 11 drug dealers.
Trump said that the United States carried out a strike on 11 supposed “terrorists” from a Venezuelan gang. Many legal experts question the authority under which the president can carry out such strikes.
Eric Garcia has the latest from Washington, D.C.
Trump tariffs see Canada's Carney delay EV mandate for auto sector
Friday 5 September 2025 18:56
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Oliver O'Connell
Meanwhile, across the border in Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney is delaying a requirement for automakers to begin hitting minimum sales levels for electric vehicles next year as the sector deals with the impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs.
Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau set the target, requiring that in 2026, 20 percent of passenger vehicles sold should be zero-emission vehicles.
Read on...
Kemp deploying 300 Georgia National Guard troops to DC
Friday 5 September 2025 19:05
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Oliver O'Connell
Georgia’s Republican Governor Brian Kemp has announced the deployment of over 300 National Guard members to Washington, D.C., a move that signals President Donald Trump’s law enforcement presence in the capital will continue.
The governor stated that approximately 300 guard members would be mobilised in mid-September, primarily to relieve troops from other states. Seven other states have already contributed National Guard personnel to the operation.
Governor Kemp confirmed that Georgia’s soldiers may be armed and will provide direct support to law enforcement. This follows an earlier deployment of 16 soldiers this week, who were assigned to non-policing support roles.
More Democrats pile on after Trump's latest jobs reports
Friday 5 September 2025 19:24
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Oliver O'Connell
More Democrats are ripping President Donald Trump for this morning’s poor jobs report.
Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg noted that June was a landmark moment for the U.S.: “Today we learned that in June the US economy lost jobs for the first time since 2020. We haven’t seen this kind of net job loss since — well, since the last time Trump was in charge.”
Today we learned that in June the US economy lost jobs for the first time since 2020. We haven’t seen this kind of net job loss since - well, since the last time Trump was in charge.
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) September 5, 2025
Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett says the numbers are “abysmal” and likens the country to a “sinking ship”.
She wrote on X: “This is ABYSMAL! Trump’s illegal Tariffs (businesses shuttering or downsizing), combined with his illegal commandeering of appropriated dollars (less money for head start etc.) & his illegal removals (tourism is down & workers are afraid to go to work) are hurting EVERYONE!
“We are in a sinking ship. It is time to admit that he is failing! Literally he’s done this bad & it’s only the 8th month. Joe Biden’s last job report showed 256k jobs added!
“How bad must the economy get before people fall on the sword & decide to DO SOMETHING?!
“This isn’t about who you like, it’s about what is right; for you, your family, & our country!”
This is ABYSMAL! Trump’s illegal Tariffs (businesses shuttering or downsizing), combined with his illegal commandeering of appropriated dollars (less money for head start etc.) & his illegal removals (tourism is down & workers are afraid to go to work) are hurting EVERYONE!
— Jasmine Crockett (@JasmineForUS) September 5, 2025
We… https://t.co/Db8rNFnY88
Trump-appointed head of federal buildings says president doesn’t need approval to start demolition for new White House ballroom
Friday 5 September 2025 19:43
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Oliver O'Connell
The White House doesn’t need approval from a government construction commission to begin demolition for President Donald Trump’s $200 million ballroom, according to a Trump-appointed head of the panel.
Will Scharf, who also serves as White House staff secretary, appeared to give the green light for the project to begin in remarks he made Thursday at a public meeting.
Read on...
Watch: Foreign ambassadors to US receive red MAGA hats as gift during White House visit
Friday 5 September 2025 19:50
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Oliver O'Con