It’s been a whirlwind few days in Washington. On Friday, President Trump fired the nation’s top labor statistics official just hours after a weak jobs report — a move that quickly drew bipartisan backlash. By Saturday, he had escalated a separate fight with Senate Democrats over stalled executive branch nominees, lashing out at Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a fiery Truth Social post.
Adding to the weekend’s chaos, Trump also faced renewed scrutiny over his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein as convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell was quietly transferred to a women’s prison in Texas. The timing of the move — and Maxwell’s ongoing efforts to overturn her conviction and seek a pardon from the president — sparked outrage among victims’ families and renewed criticism of how the Justice Department has handled the Epstein case.
If you missed these developments, here’s a rundown of the biggest stories to get you up to speed.
Trump ousts labor stats chief after weak jobs report
On Friday, President Trump fired Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer just hours after the agency reported that the U.S. economy added only 73,000 jobs in July — far fewer than expected. The agency also revised its May and June figures downward by more than 200,000 jobs combined.
Trump blasted the report on Truth Social, calling the numbers “rigged” and accusing McEntarfer — who was appointed by former President Biden but confirmed with bipartisan support — of manipulating the data “for political purposes.”
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers dismissed Trump’s accusation as “a preposterous charge,” noting that the president offered no evidence to back it up.
McEntarfer later responded on Bluesky, calling it “the honor of my life” to serve in the role.
The firing subsequently sparked backlash, including from some Republicans. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said moves like this only make it harder for people to trust government data. Sen. Thom Tillis was more blunt: “If she was just fired because … they didn’t like the numbers, they ought to grow up.”
Democrats were even sharper in their criticism. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of behaving like “someone who imitates authoritarian leaders,” while Sen. Brian Schatz called the firing “the stuff of fascist dictatorships.”
Still, the White House defended the decision. Economic adviser Kevin Hassett said Sunday that Trump wanted “a fresh set of eyes” at the agency.
Trump tells Schumer to “go to hell” as nominee deal collapses
The clash over McEntarfer’s firing wasn’t the only fight brewing in Washington. As tensions mounted, Trump also turned his ire on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer after a deal to confirm executive‑branch nominees collapsed.
CNN reported Saturday that Schumer had asked Trump to release federal funds and pledge not to pursue another spending cut bill. But the president — who wanted the Senate to confirm his nominees even if it meant skipping the August recess — rejected the terms on social media as “egregious and unprecedented.”
“Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from within his own party, the radical left lunatics, to go to hell,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Do not accept the offer. Go home and explain to your constituents what bad people the Democrats are, and what a great job the Republicans are doing, and have done, for our country.”
With no deal in place, Republicans are considering changes to Senate rules when they return in September to speed up the stalled confirmations. “Senate rules are desperately in need of change,” said Majority Leader John Thune.
Schumer warned that a rules change would be a “huge mistake,” especially as Republicans will still need Democratic votes to pass spending bills and other legislation.
“We have never seen nominees as flawed, as compromised, as unqualified as we have right now,” he said.
Ghislaine Maxwell moved to a prison in Texas
The Federal Bureau of Prisons said Friday that Ghislaine Maxwell, the former associate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has been transferred from a federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, to a minimum‑security camp in Bryan, Texas.
Compared to her previous facility, which housed more than 800 men and women, Federal Prison Camp Bryan holds about 635 inmates, all of them female and most serving time for nonviolent offenses, according to the facility’s website. The camp is also home to other high‑profile inmates, including convicted fraudsters Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and former Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah.
Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, confirmed the move, though the Bureau of Prisons hasn’t explained why she was transferred. Maxwell, who is serving a 20‑year sentence for sex trafficking, is currently petitioning the Supreme Court to overturn her conviction while also seeking a pardon from President Trump. Earlier in July, she reportedly held two undisclosed meetings with the deputy U.S. attorney general.
Her legal maneuvering has also extended to Congress. Less than a week ago, Maxwell’s attorneys said she was willing to testify about the Epstein case, but only if granted strict legal protections. On Friday, House Oversight Chair James Comer announced that her planned Aug. 11 deposition had been indefinitely postponed, saying the committee would not grant her immunity or provide questions in advance, two conditions her lawyers had requested.
These developments come as Trump faces renewed scrutiny over his past relationship with Epstein and criticism about how the Justice Department has handled related files.
The family of Virginia Giuffre — one of Epstein’s victims who died by suicide earlier this year — condemned the move, saying they were “horrified and disgusted” that it happened without any notice to Maxwell’s victims.
“This is the justice system failing victims right before our eyes,” they said in a statement. “The American public should be outraged by the special treatment afforded to a pedophile and a criminally charged child sex offender.”
