President Donald Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics after a dismal jobs report was revised down by 90%, alleging the numbers were “rigged.” The U.S. positions nuclear submarines in response to threats from a former Russian leader as Trump’s deadline for peace talks with Putin approaches. The controversy over a Sydney Sweeney ad escalates, highlighting a broader cultural shift away from DEI under the Trump administration.

It’s Monday, August 4, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.

Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:

If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:

Trump Ousts Labor Chief After Dismal Jobs Report

Topline: President Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday after the agency released a dismal jobs report and dramatically revised down its numbers from previous months.

On Friday, the Labor Department released a report showing the U.S. economy added only 73,000 jobs in July, falling well short of the 100,000 projection. More alarmingly, the agency announced that its job numbers for May and June had been overestimated by 90%, revising the initial report of 291,000 jobs down to just 33,000. President Trump immediately responded with a statement declaring that “the jobs were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad.” He then fired Erika McEntarfer, the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, accusing her of releasing similarly inaccurate reports before the 2024 election “in the hopes of getting ‘Kamala’ elected.”

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett defended the move, stating, “What we need is a fresh set of eyes at the BLS. Someone who can clean this thing up.” Democrats and other critics, like former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, called the president’s charge “preposterous,” arguing that it would be impossible for the head of the BLS to manipulate the data.

Despite the sluggish job growth, the White House pointed to positive underlying trends in the labor market. Since President Trump took office, 100% of net job growth has been among American-born workers and has occurred in the private sector. Under the previous administration, 100% of net job growth was among foreign-born workers, while about 25% of all jobs created were in government.

U.S. Positions Nuclear Subs After Russian Threats

Topline: President Trump has ordered two U.S. nuclear submarines to be repositioned in response to inflammatory nuclear rhetoric from former Kremlin leader Dmitry Medvedev.

Medvedev, who often serves as a provocateur for the Kremlin, recently made statements alluding to a last-ditch nuclear weapons response. In a post on Truth Social, President Trump said he ordered the submarines into position as a precaution, in case Medvedev’s “foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,” adding, “Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences.”

While the specific submarines and their locations have not been disclosed, the U.S. Navy possesses 14 Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines. Each one can carry up to 20 Trident ballistic missiles armed with multiple nuclear warheads, capable of striking Moscow from thousands of miles away. The move is being seen as a signal from Trump that he will not tolerate threats from Russia, a harder line than the previous administration’s focus on de-escalation.

This comes as Trump’s new August 8 deadline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to enter into peace talks with Ukraine is fast approaching. If Russia misses the deadline, the president has the authority to implement massive new sanctions and increase weapons shipments to Ukraine.

‘Great Jeans’ Ad Highlights Anti-DEI Shift

Topline: The ongoing controversy over an American Eagle ad featuring actress Sydney Sweeney has become a cultural flashpoint, highlighting the Trump administration’s aggressive push to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies.

Since taking office, President Trump has signed executive orders terminating DEI mandates in the federal government and requiring federal contractors to comply with anti-discrimination laws. The administration has also put universities on notice that they will lose federal grants if they employ DEI in admissions or hiring.

The American Eagle ad, which features the traditionally beautiful actress and a voiceover with a pun on “jeans” and “genes,” sparked a media firestorm. An MSNBC column claimed it signaled an “unbridled cultural shift toward Whiteness,” while other outlets accused the company of promoting eugenics and even “Nazi propaganda.”

Vice President JD Vance weighed in on the “unhinged” reaction, saying it reveals Democrats’ “hostility to basic American life.” American Eagle has not apologized for the ad, and its stock has risen about 15% since the campaign launched. In what appears to be a cancellation attempt against the actress, Buzzfeed recently published an article revealing that Sweeney registered as a Republican in 2024.

A far-left organization partnered with financial institutions, activist groups, and the Mexican consulate to push banks to offer mortgage loans to illegal aliens and “protect undocumented immigrants.”

Rise Economy, a leftist organization formerly called the California Reinvestment Coalition, was behind a report advocating for mortgage loans to be made available to illegal aliens who obtain an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), a financial tool that often enables illegals to obtain home and auto loans.

The report indicates that the marketing and distribution of loans to illegal aliens, which The Daily Wire has documented extensively, may in part be the result of leftwing ideology and activism rather than simply a response to market incentives.

The group thanked a wide range of supporting organizations, which it said “were essential in framing the research and tailoring the recommendations outlined in this report.” Among those dubbed “community partners” are the Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco and La Raza Centro Legal, a San Francisco-based ethnic advocacy organization that offers deportation defense.

The La Raza Community Resource Center, which also offers deportation defense assistance to illegal aliens, was listed as a partner of the organization. Also listed is the Beneficial State Foundation, the project of a bank run by a Democrat billionaire that The Daily Wire previously reported offers auto loans targeted to illegal aliens.

Rise Economy’s report specifically encouraged the distribution of home loans to illegal aliens, urging policymakers and community partners to “work collectively on solutions-driven policies to increase access to mortgage loans for immigrant families including ITIN holders.”

Rise Economy’s goal, the 2019 report noted, was to “push for safe banking and equitable access to small business lending, mortgages, accessible retirement systems, and public benefits for ITIN holders.” The report focused on mortgage loans again, with one section reading “policymakers and community partners should work collectively on solutions-driven policies to increase access to mortgage loans for undocumented families including ITIN holders,” one line reads.

“The Here to Stay campaign coalition recommends that financial institutions provide access to safe banking and lending to immigrant families including ITIN holders,” the report said. “Community-driven solutions must also be proposed to protect undocumented immigrants who rely on public benefits.”

Not all of the partners cited in the report appear to be ideologically motivated, however. Rise Economy added that “this report was made possible with financial support from” various financial institutions, including JP Morgan, Capital One, U.S. Bank, and the Banc of California. None of the banks responded to a request for comment.

The Daily Wire has exposed various companies that market loans to illegal aliens, including Prysma Lending, which held a webinar with an immigration lawyer and created a guide to deportation defense for its customers. There’s also Amres, which articulated its goal to “empower non-citizens,” created a guide called “Bridging the Gap for Undocumented Residents,” and told the stories of various illegal aliens who were able to obtain mortgage loans.

The former leader of a Texas land developer lobbying organization appeared to confirm that developments like Colony Ridge would go out of business if they were forced to check if buyers had social security numbers.

EXCLUSIVE: A Texas land developer admitted that the Colony Ridge business model relies on selling land to unqualified foreign buyers:

“We will not be able to sell our developments if each of our buyers have to have SS#’s.”

I obtained his stunning admissions🧵 pic.twitter.com/f2nWFuWA5r

— Spencer Lindquist 🇺🇸 (@SpencerLndqst) February 13, 2025

One company belonging to the lobbying organization, called Cayetano, encouraged buyers to “own a piece of American land” just north of the border with Mexico. It also accepted identification from the Mexican government in processing land sales, The Daily Wire revealed.

These loans, experts say, can encourage illegal aliens to stay in the country in violation of federal law. Federation for American Immigration Reform Media Director Ira Mehlman previously discussed the risks associated with allowing the practice with The Daily Wire

“Access to mortgages can serve as an incentive for illegal aliens to remain in the country, especially at a time when the goal of the government is convincing illegal aliens to leave,” Mehlman noted. “Congress could take many actions — from disclosure to outright prohibition — and set a national standard for states to follow.”

Lending arrangements that rely on ITINs could soon become riskier. Not only is the government cracking down on illegal immigration and pursuing a policy of mass deportation, but the Department of Homeland Security and the IRS signed an agreement allowing the law enforcement agency to obtain information on illegal aliens from the IRS.

Rise Economy did not respond to a request for comment.