GEOFF BENNETT: From today's# weaker-than-expected jobs report## to the president rebranding the Pentagon,# it's been another jam-packed week of news.

For analysis, we turn now to the analysis# of Brooks and Bouie.

That's David Brooks and## Jamelle Bouie, both columnists at The New York# Times.

Jonathan Capehart is away this evening.

It's good to see you both.

So, as we reported, the August# jobs report is out today,## and the numbers are fairly bleak.

The U.S.# economy added just 22,000 jobs last month,## well short of forecasts.

The unemployment rate# ticked up to its highest number in four years,## a setback for President Trump, David,# but it could, on the other hand,## bolster his argument that the Fed should cut# interest rates when it meets later this month.

How do you see it?

DAVID BROOKS: Well, .. target of 2.

So they're in a bit of a pickle.# They might cut a little bit, 25 basis points,## but it's hard to see them cutting a lot# more because of the inflation threat.

This is caused by -- as Austan Goolsbee# sort of suggested earlier in the program,## I think it's caused by uncertainty about the# tariffs, but then also the cuts in immigration.## 2025 could be the first year in American history# where America loses population.

And immigrants,## whether you like high immigration or don't,# they're an economic boon to the country.

And if you take away all that labor,# you're taking away a source of economic## strength.

One of the things that was more# interesting about the report was that the## number of manufacturing jobs lost last month# was 12,000, and that brings the total number## of lost manufacturing jobs under the# Trump administration of 78,000 people.

That's not what he was promising when he was# running.

So he's really not helping.

And, finally,## the most depressing thing for me and the most# concerning is attitudes about what's happening.## The Wall Street Journal had a poll out earlier# this week where they asked people, do you think## there's a chance, any chance, your living standard# will go up?

Only 25 percent of Americans say that.

That's the lowest level since 1986.

Something# weird has happened about people's view of the## country and the economy.

There's a way to predict# how people will view the economy based on economic## statistics.

And up until COVID, the statistics# and the consumer sentiment rose and fall together.

After COVID, they're totally diverged.# The economic statistics look pretty good,## but the people's view of the economy is cratering.## And that's just a generalized loss# of faith, the growth of pessimism.

GEOFF BENNETT: Yes.

And, Jamelle, for the .. there are now more unemployed Americans than# job openings.

What does that tell us about## the direction of the labor market and how# does it shape the larger political debate?

JAMELLE BOUIE, The New York Times: Well,# the labor market is clearly weakening.

And I think that it is something that is going to# be a real challenge for the administration.

It's..

I think, important to recognize that Trump won# reelection or won this second term on essentially## an economic argument: I will lower the cost of# goods and services.

I will ensure prosperity.

And he won narrowly on that basis.

And if --# his term thus far has been characterized by## job losses, by slowdowns, by rising inflation,# by the exact opposite of what he promised.

This,## to me, signals that the administration's and the# president's party is simply in trouble going into## the end of this year and the beginning of next# year and the beginning of midterm elections,## say nothing of the upcoming elections in New# Jersey and Virginia, where we will start to## get a sense of where the public stands# with regards to Republican governance.

GEOFF BENNETT: The president seizing# on these jobs numbers to hammer the## Fed and to hammer Democrats, how# effective is that line of attack?

DAVID BROOKS: I think it probably# pleases people to hammer the Fed.

I mean,## they're unelected.

A lot of people don't# like it.

Republicans don't like it.

But just to give Jerome Powell credit where# it's due, never before in American history## have we brought down inflation# without recession.

And he did it,## along with the other Fed governors.

So I think# what they have achieved over the last several## years to me is kind of remarkable.

But no# president likes the Fed because he wants the## Fed to pump up the -- or pump up -- or pump down# interest rates, if you can pump down something... (LAUGHTER) DAVID BROOKS: ... and in ord.. election.

But that's precisely# why we have an independent Fed.

JAMELLE BOUIE: Right.

Right.

Right.

GEOFF BENNETT: Well, on that point,## I mean, President Trump's nominee for the# open Fed governor role, Step.. at his confirmation hearing this past week# said he wouldn't fully resign his position at## the White House while filling this vacant seat# on the Federal Reserve's board, if confirmed.

So how troubling is this dual role arrangement# for the institutional independence of the Fed?

JAMELLE BOUIE: I mean, I would call it very# troubling.

It's very clear that the president## wants to undermine Fed independence, and he's# trying to do everything he can to make that## happen.

The accusations against Lisa Cook,# the supposed firing of Cook is part of this.

And I would consider this another attack# on Fed independence for exactly the reasons## David described.

He wants to lower rates.

He# wants essentially the Fed to act as a kind of## backstop to his own irresponsible set of economic# policies with regards to tariffs and immigration.

GEOFF BENNETT: Well, say more about that, this# notion that the president is treating independent## economic bodies as tools of political strategy,# rather than tools of technocratic governance.

DAVID BROOKS: Yes, I mean, he's a# personalist.

He thinks the office## of the presidency is not something that belongs# to the American people, but it belongs to him.

And this has been a pretty consistent# theme, in fact, amazingly consistent theme,## throughout his entire administration.

And we# relied on the idea that some things are sacred,## some things you just don't do.

There# are lines.

We all have these -- like,## in journalism, we're not going to be# journalists and also run for office as## a Democrat and Republican.

We're just# not going to do that.

There's a line.

And the fact that they didn't -- weren't# intuitively and instinctively appalled by## the idea of crossing that line shows# that just the norm has gone away.

GEOFF BENNETT: As we reported earlier this# evening, President Trump signed an executive## order today renaming the Defense Department# the Department of War, his latest move to## project military toughness.

You can see the# old sign there at the Pentagon coming down.

Jamelle, what does this rebranding# suggest about -- rather,## how should we understand the symbolize --# symbolism behind all of this as we also## look at the administration's policy# and its approach using the military?

JAMELLE BOUIE: Yes.

(LAUGHTER) JAMELLE BOUIE: I -- part of me wants to say# that this is just ki.. first of all, the executive order# specifically says you can call the## Department of Defense Department# of War as well if you want to,## but officially it is still the Department# of Defense, right?

That's established by## congressional statute.

That's not something the# president kind of just changed unilaterally.

I suppose you can say that, beyond# whatever P.R.

thing he's looking at,## it's supposed to signal the return of,# as secretary of defense -- I'm not going## to call him secretary of war -- Secretary of# Defense Pete Hegseth says, maximum lethality.

And I suppose it's demonstrated# by the recent attack on the boat## allegedly of Venezuelan drug dealers.

But as has# emerged out of that, what we see are a lot of## questions about the decision-making that went# into that, about the legality of that strike.

This recommitment to lethality appears# to also be kind of a P.R.

thing.

Like,## I don't see anything strategic or interested in# the national security interests of the United## States.

What I see here is a president# who understands the entire world as a## kind of television show, and secretary of war# sounds better for TV than secretary of defense.

GEOFF BENNETT: Do you see a through line here, the# rebranding of the Pentagon, the deadly strikes on## this alleged drug-running boat off the coast# of Venezuela without congressional approval,## the president sending federal troops into L.A. and# D.C. and threatening to do the same in Chicago?

I mean, what story is the president trying to tell# about himself and the power of the presidency?

DAVID BROOKS: Yes, I don't think it rises# to TV.

I think it's more "Call of Duty."

(LAUGHTER) DAVID BROOKS: And, you know, the Pentag.. were there when it was renamed were people like# James Forrestal, who was secretary of defense,## and then later George Marshall.

And# the Joint -- chairman of the Joint## Chiefs was Omar Bradley, literally# the guys who won in World War II.

And they did not have anything to prove about# their machismo.

And I found that the people I## admire who really have shown toughness in# combat, men and women, they don't need to## brag about it.

They don't need to say secretary of# war.

They're like, no, I'm not going to do that.## You will never hear one of them say, hey, let's# lock and load.

They just don't talk that way.

And this crew -- to go from George Marshall# to Pete Hegseth, that's a long way.

And I'm## conservative.

I believe government should# be careful about assuming what it knows,## because the world is really complicated.# And sending a missile at some ship where## you don't know what's on the# ship, that's just foolish.

It's killing people, potentially -- well,## absolutely, when you don't even know what# they're doing.

There's a reason we board ships,## because you want to have some evidence that# you're actually going after drug dealers,## rather than whatever, some random 11 people# on a boat.

And so the targeting of ships## using acts of war what should be acts of law# enforcement really does cross a line to me.

GEOFF BENNETT: In the time that remains, I want to# talk to you both about the New York mayor's race,## largely because the mayor, Eric Adams,# said tonight that he is going to stay in## the race and run for reelection.

This# is amid the reporting that the Trump## administration is considering nominating# him to serve as ambassador to Saudi Arabia## to prompt him to exit the mayoral race and# consolidate the opposition to the Democratic## socialist candidate, Zohran Mamdani,# potentially benefiting Andrew Cuomo.

Jamelle, why is Donald Trump so invested in making## sure that Andrew Cuomo is the# next mayor of New York City?

JAMELLE BOUIE: I think Donald Trump, first of all,## if he could have had anything in his life,# it might have been to be mayor of New Yor.. City.

I think in a lot of ways he's a# big city mayor that escaped containment.

(LAUGHTER) JAMELLE BOUIE: But.. as just something he thinks is bad for# New York.

I suppose he believes it's## bad for the country.

He doesn't see it in its# political interest and wants to see an ally,## Cuomo, who has given every indication that# he would cooperate with the administration,## especially with immigration enforcement,# in the New York mayor's office.

I think that the strategy here is probably# misguided.

New Yorkers do not approve of## Trump.

And giving Mamdani an opportunity to# basically run against Trump, which is what## Adams doing -- Adams dropping out would do, I# think would only be down to Mamdani's benefit.

GEOFF BENNETT: It's striking.

You# have got a right-wing populist in## Trump targeting a left-wing populist# in Mamdani in this political era that,## as you so often say, is defined# by the rise of populism.

DAVID BROOKS: Yes, though I do like sending people## to ambassadorships to get them out of# the way.

This is a..

I think FDR sent Joe Kennedy# away.

I think John F. Kennedy sent Adlai## Stevenson.

There was talk, I think, of# sending Chris Christie during the first## Trump -- let's send him to Australia.

So# this is not the first time somebody's used## an ambassadorship as an attempt to get# rid of someone politically inconvenient.

GEOFF BENNETT: David Brooks, Jamelle Bouie,# it's good to see you both.

Have a great weekend.

DAVID BROOKS: Thank you.