This week, the economic situation under President Trump has stirred up quite a bit of concern, mainly due to uncertain tariffs, a disappointing jobs report from Friday, and the firing of Erica Mantelfer from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Department of Labor reported that the U.S. added a mere 73,000 jobs in July. To add to the woes, previous job numbers for May and June were revised downwards, subtracting a total of 258,000 positions from the earlier counts.
Specifically, there were only 19,000 jobs created in May and 14,000 in June.
Following this poor report, Trump took the step of having Mantelfer dismissed, accusing her of tampering with earlier data and asserting the need for a “more capable and qualified” replacement.
Additionally, the White House announced that tariffs affecting numerous countries would take effect on August 7th, which is likely to disrupt international trade dynamics. These import taxes vary significantly, ranging from 10% to 41%.
Canada saw its tariff rate increased to 35%, and this week, the administration also made announcements regarding trade agreements with nations like Indonesia, the Philippines, and South Korea, in addition to dealings with the European Union and the UK.
Kevin Hassett, the White House’s national economic advisor, is scheduled to appear on both NBC’s Meet the Press and Fox News’ Fox News Sunday to dive into the current discussions on tariff negotiations and review the latest employment data.
In terms of foreign policy, Steve Witkov, Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, along with Israeli Ambassador Mike Huckabee, visited aid distribution sites in the Gaza Strip on Friday.
The White House noted that Witkov and Huckabee would provide the president with insights differing from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who denied claims made by Trump about the “real starvation” situation in Gaza, contrasting with Netanyahu’s stance earlier this week.
Johnny Moore, Executive Director of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, is also set to discuss the ongoing aid efforts in Gaza on Fox News’ Sunday show, highlighting how aid is being managed by U.S.-supported organizations.
These issues will likely come up in various Sunday talk shows.
On News Nation’s “The Hill Sunday”: Ken Martin, Chair of the Democratic National Committee.
On ABC’s “This Week”: Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, and Avril Benoît from Borderless Physician.
On CNN’s “Union Status”: Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
On CBS’s “Face the Nation”: New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D), U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Dr. Mehmet Oz from Medicare & Medicaid Services, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, and Canada’s U.S. Ambassador Kirsten Hillman.
On NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Kevin Hassett alongside Senator Alex Padilla (D).
On Fox News’ Fox News Sunday: Hassett; Johnny Moore, and Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Tim Lilly.
On Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures: Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
