It hasn’t been a great weekend for Donald Trump. On Sunday, administration officials appeared on political talk shows to defend the president’s policies after a tough week marked by disappointing economic, trade, and employment reports. The week ended with the firing of labor statistics chief Erika McEntarfer.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Trump has “real concerns” about the jobs numbers, which go beyond Friday’s report showing the economy added only 73,000 jobs in July—far below expectations. Job growth figures for the previous two months were also revised downward by 285,000.
On CBS News’ Face the Nation, Greer defended Trump’s decision to fire McEntarfer, a respected statistician, saying, “You want reliable numbers. There are always revisions, but sometimes they swing too far.”
Meanwhile, Trump himself lashed out at Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on social media, telling him, “GO TO HELL!” after a standoff over confirmations.
### “The president is the president”
Greer justified McEntarfer’s firing, stating, “The president is the president. He can choose who works in the executive branch.” He was among several Trump officials sent to defend the administration after a week of bad economic news.
William Beach, who led the Bureau of Labor Statistics during Trump’s first term, warned that McEntarfer’s dismissal could undermine confidence in U.S. economic data.
### Trump tells Schumer to “GO TO HELL!”
The Senate left Washington on Saturday for its August recess without a deal to advance dozens of Trump’s nominees. The impasse followed days of tense negotiations and Trump’s outburst against Schumer.
Republicans say they may change Senate rules in September to speed up confirmations. Trump has pressured senators to act faster, as Democrats have blocked more nominees than usual this year, forcing lengthy roll-call votes for each one.
### Trump administration denies immigration arrest quotas
In a court filing, Trump administration lawyers denied reports of a daily quota for immigration arrests, despite previous White House statements about a goal of 3,000 deportations or arrests per day.
Justice Department lawyers said Homeland Security confirmed that neither ICE leadership nor field offices have been ordered to meet any numerical targets for arrests or removals.
### Senate confirms Trump ally Jeanine Pirro as D.C. prosecutor
The Senate confirmed Jeanine Pirro—a former Fox News host and staunch Trump supporter who pushed false claims of 2020 election fraud—as the top federal prosecutor for Washington, D.C.
Pirro, a former New York judge and district attorney, was approved in a 50-45 party-line vote. In a statement, she called herself “blessed” and promised to be a “real crime fighter.”
### What else happened today:
– The Smithsonian announced plans to restore…Here’s a more natural and fluent version of your text:
Key Trump impeachment evidence will be released in the coming weeks.
Trump’s recent strange public behavior has raised new questions about his mental sharpness.
Despite Trump’s attempts to stop it, ongoing legal cases may reveal Epstein’s secret files.
Texas Democrats are leaving the state to block a Monday vote that could give Republicans five additional House seats.
Need a quick update? Here’s what happened on August 2nd.
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