U.S. Hiring Slows Dramatically in Trump Economy

0:00You're listening to this podcast, so you've got a curious mind. Here's a helpful fact. Drivers who switch and save with Progressive save over$900 on average. Visit Progressive.com to see if you could save on car insurance. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of$946 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2024 and May 2025. Potential savings will vary. Watch Disclosure Day at Home now with exclusive bonus features. If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? Well, now the truth belongs to 7 billion people in an original event film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by David Koepp starring Emily Blunt, Josh O 'Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Coleman Domingo.

0:49Find Disclosure Day on major digital platforms now with no subscription required, also in theaters.

1:04Thank you so much for letting us into your homes for another week of shows. We're so grateful. The Beat with Ari Melber starts right now. Hi, Ari. Happy Friday. Happy Friday, Nicole. Have a great weekend. Thanks so much. Welcome to The Beat, everyone. I'm Ari Melber, and we are watching what are clearly flashing red warning signs in this economy as managed by President Trump, who famously ran on the economy, on jobs and prices and people's well-being. He's been doing a lot of other things with his agenda, with his priorities, but that, of course, was a big part of the campaign last year. And now the fears are that there could be a downturn, that Republicans don't want to ride bad jobs numbers and high prices into what are going to be midterms now just over a year away.

1:52And the issue here is facts. We have all watched our politics and propaganda turn more and more on what we might terribly call something other than reality. And yet certain realities, especially when it comes to people's livelihoods, their jobs, whether they have money in the bank and money coming in from an employer, that can't just be propagandized or podcasted away. And that brings us to the top story right now. The brutal new jobs report that shows hiring stalling out in America. Only about 20 ,000 jobs added. That is basically a small number and is also, and this is important in how this economic stuff tends to work, a lot lower than what was expected.

2:31So you can see universal headlines there, warning signs, slowdown. It's the first jobs report as well since the reality issue came up on jobs. Donald Trump has been caught lying more than any other modern politician. Washington Post actually kept account for many years. It's not a criticism. It's a fact that he lies all the time. And in the second term, he's been more brazen about trying to get other people to lie for him, even in the career civil service. And so he actually ousted the person who had the bad news on these same jobs reports before. But firing the people, giving you the bad news, hoping to distract, that's not really working.

3:08In fact, here's how it's even playing on Fox Business. Weakness in the job market. 22 ,000 jobs added in the month of August. That was much less than the expectation of 75 ,000 guys. There's a labor crisis. So it's a weaker than expected number, and these revisions are pretty brutal. So there's a lot of concern. You may have more of a deflationary situation there, which I thought all along. By the way, you know, a history lesson, folks. That's what we had in 1930s. Reference there to the Great Depression, weak, brutal. Trump's labor secretary is doing a version of what Trump did, basically saying maybe these numbers aren't real or they don't mean anything.

3:52Take a look. Do tariffs have anything to do with this slowing job market? Unemployment is still holding steady. Statistically, it's non-existent. Statistically, it's a problem. a labor secretary trying to sort of use what are fancier words. And there are debates over, of course, economic numbers, but basically argue to everyone, including even straightforward questions there on the financial news networks, that what you see isn't real. Out in the markets, out in the job market as well, people find it very real. And Trump is in negative territory already. He talks about a lot of different topics.

4:31There's a lot of other things going on, of course, that are covered, but he's down 15 on jobs already, down 30 on inflation and prices, which again, was the issue where he attacked the incumbent Biden-Harris administration to great effect. And President Biden himself acknowledged there was a price and inflation problem. We all lived through that. The question is, how's the medicine going? Did the guy who ran on fixing that get anywhere? Or is it status quo, meaning Donald Trump has a Biden level economic problem? Or is it even worse? The big thing was that he was going to make your economic life better and daily purchases more affordable.

5:13And I went on groceries. It's a very simple word, groceries. Like almost, you know, who uses the word? I started using the word, the groceries. A vote for Trump means your groceries will be cheaper. It'll also bring your grocery bill way down. I have more complaints on groceries. Groceries. Well, let's look at the prices. They're up. 90 % of Americans say they are currently worried about the price of groceries. Axios puts it this way. For a president whose credibility on the economy has always been his strongest asset, the prospect of the bottom falling out is uniquely dangerous. Again, if this is his thing, he ran on it, wants to be judged on it, that's a problem.

6:00It's not the only one. There are protests over the troops in the streets. There are judges saying Trump exceeded his power on that and tariffs, which relate to the economic problems and feed uncertainty that neither the job nor stock markets want. There's the roiling Epstein scandal, which took on a new chapter this week with Republicans pushing to override the House leaders who were trying to back up Trump with secrecy while we heard the moving presentation testimony of those victims, many of whom said it's not politics, but it is a Trump DOJ failure. The economy, though, as we all know, is the mood music for all of this.

6:36And if people are really upset about groceries and really concerned that there is a kind of endless, unfathomable trade war that even Judges from both parties appointed by presidents of both parties say he might not even have the power to wage Well, that sets things on a different course as americans pay attention again here in this beginning of the fall I want to bring in Maya Wiley former sdny civil prosecutor and ceo of the leadership conference on civil and human rights And jelani cobb who is dean of columbia journalism school staff writer for the new yorker and msnbc analyst Welcome to both of you Uh jelani you know a lot about journalism so much, uh They have you running the most renowned journalism school.

7:18And first and foremost, we look at sources. Sometimes it's data. It's hard facts. Sometimes it's what experts or credible people say. What do you see here in the sources and the underlying facts of what is at least a troubled Trump economy? So, I mean, I think that this is indicative of, you know, a bigger trend. If we go, I mean, there are many, many examples, an abundance of examples. But do you remember Hurricane Durian back in 2019 or Sharpie Gate, you know, where the data said one thing, but Trump said something else? And so he just used a magic marker to change the data. This is the same thing that we saw, you know, last month with the firing of the chief economist for Bureau of Labor Statistics.

8:06The data said something. They didn't like what the data said. If we wanted to look at that theme further, this was the crux of the fireworks that you saw yesterday with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, RFK Jr., and his testimony. That entire, most of that conflict was around data and what the data said and, you know, wanting to have a contrary opinion that wasn't supported by data. It is a fundamental thing. I can add that it's not a coincidence that we've seen so many conflicts directed at journalism and at higher education, places that rely on a belief in objective truth and facts and empiricism.

8:51Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's sort of what ties it all together. and Maya, those of us in what was once called the reality-based community would prefer that we started with shared reality and then had our public debates and made our policies from there. But you've both done a lot of work in the field of social justice, also been a candidate yourself. Does it matter that the economy, as James Carville says, is everything and does break through more than, say, lies potentially about the vaccine wars. Well, let's let's remember most people who show up at the polls are showing up at the polls because and voting based on how they're doing, how they're feeling, how confident that they are and what candidate they think is going to help solve the problems they have or continue to make sure if they like how things are going, that it keeps going better.

9:48And that's why all those clips you showed about Donald Trump and what he said on the campaign trail, playing to how is it going for you with your grocery costs, right? Well, now we know how it's going with grocery costs right now, which is it's getting more expensive thanks to Trump's tariffs, which is what economists have been saying for a while, which is we're gonna send costs up. People are gonna spend more for soap. Aria, I was just at a state fair in rural New York and I was buying silver jewelry because I like silver jewelry. And the man and his wife, this is their small business, they had their table out.

10:30And as we were chit-chatting, as I was buying my earrings, he said, I may not be here next year. And I said, well, why not? And he said, because silver is going up 40%. If that's the conversation I am having at a county fair, Donald Trump has a problem because what we're hearing, remember, 58 percent of rural voters voted for Donald Trump. We're already seeing he's still popular with a lot of those voters. But, you know, one recent poll that just came out showed that he's down in overall net approval by six points already with rural voters. But this is why, because of people, and what we know from the economists is the people who are going to feel it the most are the people who are already struggling.

11:21Well, those are some of the people Trump so proudly, you know, said he activated and got out to vote. And those are the people who are going to have the biggest pain points. And we're going to see it also with that, with what he did with budget, what he's doing with cutting programs, how already 2.4 million people are going to find it harder because they're going to start losing their SNAP benefits. That's food on the table. And what we forget is all those people, a lot of them are working and their families and their kids. This is not going well, but it's not going to go well because what everyone is going to understand is whether or not they're struggling more or their lives are getting better.

12:06And all that we're hearing, even anecdotally, and even if you're just out in the street, is it's getting harder. Yeah. And the reference to county fairs, I know that excites Jelani because The New Yorker has many cartoons in the county fair pantheon. You'll see a pig in a top hat. You'll see a pig going to a dinner. Go ahead. By the way, I can also attest, I was at the Maryland State Fair last weekend. So, you know, I was out there doing my level best to have a kind of wholesome American experience at the county fair. I didn't know we had such fair fans here.

12:54Did you?

12:59Jelani, did you get any jewelry? Oh, I'm sorry. No, actually, the guy, I saw something I liked, but the guy told me he already sold his best earrings to Maya, so. I'll tell you this, and this is a fact. I have seen Jelani Cobb in expansive neck jewelry, what sometimes would be called a chain or bling. So that's a story for another day. Before we go, Jelani's coming back, Maya. Before we go, I'm curious what you think with the Epstein of it all. I mentioned that in the lead, that this has been a tough week on a story they wanted to bury. We've discussed it. I think a lot of people, how could you not be moved by the women speaking out, which again, not political or partisan, and several of them said so, but a failure of what they view as the government, primarily Republican prosecutors, a Trump cabinet member.

13:52I mean, that's just who was in charge. Your thoughts on that before I lose you tonight. Yeah, well, I think you said it best. What people care about is how they feel and whether they think government is helping them and serving them or hurting them. And this is a news story that's about that very same thing. I mean, if Donald Trump won on a platform that said he was going to blow up the deep state, he keeps demonstrating that he is the deep state and he's demonstrating it to something as basic as whether women are safe from sex traffic. actually they were not women at the time and so to not care about to not care about victims who are people's sisters and mothers and daughters uh is exactly the kind of thing that plays to the same same demand from so many americans keep us safe well he's not keeping us safe make our lives better well he's not making our lives better and that's what he has to confront as someone who's saying, continue to support me to control government.

14:53Yeah. Maya, thank you very much. Wishing you a good weekend and good luck out there at all the fairs, wherever you find them. Jelani comes back. We're going to turn to these tech mobiles, giving Trump a dear leader kind of welcome. Thank you for being such a pro-business, pro-innovation president. I also want to thank you. We're very excited to see what you're doing. Making it possible for America to win. How much are you spending, would you say, over the next few years? Oh, gosh. Oh, gosh, indeed. And Donald Trump making more moves, confirming his interest in trying to change who's even running for mayor of New York.

15:31Is he scared of the liberal you see on your screen? And John Tester will join us tonight. It's tractor time. We'll explain. But first, a scorecard on why Trump lost so much in court this week. I'm going to show you that in 90 seconds. Exterior Remodels Inner Monologues Brought to you by Power The house looks good Like, really good That siding, stunning The roof, elevated Windows, I mean, wow The process, smooth The neighbors, jealous Choose Power Home Remodeling And remodel how you think about remodeling Schedule your free quote on windows, siding, roofing and doors at powerhomeremodeling.com.

16:14Power. Our work shows. Insurance isn't one size fits all. That's why drivers have trusted Progressive's Name Your Price tool for years. Just tell Progressive what you want to pay, and they'll show you coverage options that fit your budget. Visit progressive.com to find a car insurance rate that works for you. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Price and coverage match limited by state law. Everyone's talking about protein lately, but how do you actually get enough of it? muscle milk. Muscle milk has a great tasting new formula with no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or added colors.

16:47It's high quality, complete protein designed to support healthy muscles with fewer ingredients than the previous formula and 26 to 42 grams of protein. For when you're stuck in meetings or need a post-workout recovery, available in chocolate, vanilla cream, cookies and cream, and strawberries and cream. Try the new great tasting muscle milk today. Available in stores nationwide. Muscle milk, protein for all.

17:11There is so much going on, it can be hard to keep it straight. Sometimes I hear from you, news viewers, who say, how do you keep it all straight? And is Donald Trump winning? Is he losing? How does the second term compare to the first? We go back to the evidence and the facts. And I can tell you, sometimes it seems like some of the media or some of the internet isn't doing that, and it all becomes a blur. So let me walk you through, in plain English, I promise this will be clear, easy and interesting to some why Donald Trump is losing more now in the courts than he was in his first term, including this string of losses this week.

17:46A federal judge is blocking plans from the Trump administration. A federal judge ruled against the Trump administration. A federal appeals court on Friday say Trump went beyond his executive authority. Many of the president's global tariffs are in doubt, as you might know, following that high profile court ruling. Well, The judge says President Trump's use of the National Guard during immigration protests here in L.A. is illegal. Trump is losing more because he's doing more things than before, than the first term that are clearly illegal. So let's look. A federal appeals court ruled most of those tariffs, basically the entire trade war, is illegal.

18:24And that means the entire tariff system could be paused and canceled. He gets a little time to appeal it. That's only fair. But right now he's lost that case. Another one, the National Guard, illegal. The way he deployed them in L.A. amidst the immigration protests was an abuse of authorities that he does not actually have. That matters because if that case holds, it will limit his ability to try that same move in the future. And there are many experts who say in other countries we've seen leaders do that to interfere with elections, for example. Another loss on misusing a wartime act, basically war powers, to try to deport Venezuelan immigrants.

19:05That's the American Enemies Act. He lost that case. And he lost his bid to oust an official at the FTC because he didn't have the authority to fire that person. We're going to see X's on those kind of issues because Trump keeps trying to fire people like this is The Apprentice when, as you may know, a lot of the federal government, a lot of the military has government employees that the president doesn't personally oversee. They're supposed to have more independence. Over on the right, you see the ex for ruling against his effort to basically misappropriate or swipe about$5 billion in foreign aid.

19:39Now, we're following all of this. The exes reflect what's been happening. If he wins, we'll show you that as well. And there was a federal appeals Court ruling for Trump, a win on an environmental case where basically he did have the authority, because it depends, to try to scale back what was a large amount of climate funding that he, under his administration, does not want to put into those more green climate programs. That's a ton of losses just this past week. Immigration is an area where he's losing in different ways because there's overall questions about deportation. There's questions about his effort to rewrite the Constitution's definition of citizenship, something that no president can do.

20:20The Constitution isn't rewritten by a single person. Otherwise, we wouldn't have one. And then we had a judge saying the administration also cannot just send children to Guatemala. So that held back. That's something where he actually got caught and the people that he wanted to send aren't going there. Another says he's forbidden from deporting that immigrant Garcia, at least until more evidence is heard. And that comes as a follow-on to the Supreme Court case he lost, which is why Garcia was brought back to the country. So that's what's happening. And if you're kind of leaning back sometimes from the media or your phone and going, it seems like he's getting away with everything, he's not.

20:58If you're looking at a headline where he's claiming war powers or something else, sure, we can report that he said it, but we also have to, in journalism, do the follow-up report that he lost it and he doesn't have that power and that judges still have the last word on what's legal in our constitutional democracy. Jelani Cobb is back. Your thoughts both on the substance, which we can put the card back up, it's pretty clear substantially losing court, but also what I mentioned, which is that weird feeling that I think some people have, that nothing matters or he's getting away with it all when in some areas he's clearly not.

21:35Yeah, I think that it's important, you know, that you keep in mind, you know, the kind of broader, you know, W and L columns on this. And, you know, the pattern here has tended to be an audacious slash outrageous and often unprecedented attempt to use executive power in a way that it had not been used before or had previously been thought of as unconstitutional. and the sheer brazenness of it has shocked people, often frightened people. And then the administrative and bureaucratic processes, which are much slower than the actions of the executive branch, start to kick into gear and they generate smaller headlines.

22:25So the headline about cutting$2 billion from Harvard, for instance, is much more attention-grabbing than the headline about the judge declaring that he did not have the authority to do that. And so we've seen that kind of time and time again in people testing what we once referred to as guardrails that have sometimes held up. Now, I would be remiss if I didn't point out the other part of this, which is that there's always the question about whether or not this administration will actually follow judicial orders. whether or not the declaration that something is unconstitutional will actually hold any sway in determining what they actually do.

23:12Well, I think you raise an important point because they've clearly pushed that. The guard, the deployment of the guard is the most intense example. They got away with or had time doing something that has now been ruled illegal. And then they're doing it in D.C., which is different legally because it is more federal. So they have greater authority there, but even that's limited by a month. And so as they test that, you're raising the question of whether the judges in this country, and ultimately the Supreme Court, which does have emergency abilities, meaning it can rule fast on certain things, do you think they have to change more to keep up with this?

23:46Because you don't need to be a legal scholar on separation of powers, Jelani. Anyone who's been a parent or a guardian or babysitter knows, uh, that if you tell a kid, well, you can't do that, but they get to do it all night or all weekend. Um, they take away the obvious lesson of, oh, cool. So I kind of can do that. There's just going to be words about it. Right. Yeah, exactly. Uh, and, uh, you know, there's, there's always the kind of, you, maybe you say I can't do it, but what can you do to stop me. And, you know, and that's been the lesson, I think, of the first administration, where it was do a lot of things and you'll get away with some portion of them, which is why I think that we've seen, you know, the kind of shotgun pattern of so many things happening on so many different fronts.

24:37And it winds up being, or at least being perceived by people who are critical of these kinds of actions as overwhelming. And it's easy to believe in that context of They're just winning. They're just getting away with everything. Yeah, understood. And we wanted to kind of broaden out, look at this big picture, because it's not just about any particular phrase in a law. But what are we doing as a democracy, which is why you've been a great expert for us tonight? I appreciate that. Wish you a good weekend, Jelani. Thank you. You too. Thanks. Yes, sir. Coming up later in the program, something interesting is happening.

25:12There is a progressive, controversial candidate, Democratic nominee for mayor of New York, Zorn Mamdani. Probably heard of him. He's getting under Trump's skin. And he's got the president, who should be busy with other things, talking about trying to interfere in the race to stop him. Why does this man scare the president of the Republican Party? We have something on that for you later tonight. Plus the backlash of these tech billionaires who once said they would be changing the way the world works. Now they can't even get out of the kind of MAGA shakedown that you have to do where you're praising Donald Trump just because he wants to meet with you.

25:45And as we showed you, John Tester addressing the power grab and the populism live from the tractor next.

26:00It's the economy, stupid. We've heard that for decades. Trump has some economic failures on his hands, the new bad jobs numbers, the inflation that he said he'd beat and he hasn't. And a tariff policy that is not only not working, but is now endangered in the courts. Republicans are hearing about all of this from voters. Who's responsible for establishing tariffs in our country? Well, right now the president has taken that authority, but I'm not sure when we come back. I really feel that this is a terrible tax that's going to be placed upon the citizens of the United States. Shame! Shame!