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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Trump Repeats Claim Jobs Report Was "Rigged" Against Him; United Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing; Crews Search National Forest Area For Bar Shooting Suspect. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired August 05, 2025 - 05:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[05:30:30]

MJ LEE, CNN ANCHOR: Donald Trump says he will soon pick an exceptional replacement for the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner that he fired on Friday. The U.S. president continues to claim with no evidence that last week's jobs report was rigged to favor Democrats. It's a claim that Trump's top economic adviser also supports.

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KEVIN HASSETT, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: They could be politically manipulated because they're so untransparent.

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LEE: Many economists are pushing back on Trump's claims saying the jobs market is slowing and that fewer Americans are responding to the surveys that the bureau uses to compile its reports.

CNN's Kristen Holmes has more.

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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump and his team doubling down on his decision last week to fire the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Essentially, his team saying that he has every right to fire the commissioner. And President Trump himself posting on social media that the jobs numbers were rigged. Of course, just to be clear, he's posting this without any evidence of the sort.

This is what he said on Truth Social on Monday. He said, "Last week's jobs report was rigged just like the numbers prior to the presidential election were rigged. That's why in both cases there was massive, record-setting revisions in favor of the radical left Democrats. Those big adjustments were made to cover up and level out the fake political numbers that were concocted in order to make a great Republican success look less stellar."

Now a couple of things to point out here. One, President Trump has been complaining about these statistics since before he was in office. Now clearly, these revisions -- that's what his team is pointing to saying that it shows in some way that this statistician was bad at her job because they had to make these enormous revisions.

But one thing to keep in mind. We have talked to a number of experts who say that that's normal to make these kinds of revisions. That there's constantly data coming in and that these statisticians are looking at all of this before they put out those numbers. And then afterwards they need to revise them based on new data coming in.

Another one of the former statisticians and experts who has been part of the Bureau of Labor Statistics at one point telling CNN that it would be virtually impossible to politicize these numbers because again, they are based on facts and figures.

But President Trump himself is still doubling down on that rhetoric saying he had every right to do so and announcing that he was going to have a pick for that position midweek or at least by the end of the week. But we are told he has not narrowed down that decision yet and he does not have a finalist or someone that he's going to name right as of this second.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.

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LEE: New U.S. tariffs for dozens of countries are set to kick in on Thursday, meaning countries like Switzerland have just two days left to negotiate before higher taxes on their exports to the U.S. take effect. Switzerland, which is facing a steep 39 percent tariff, says it's changing tactics to try to present a more attractive officer.

Meanwhile, after reaching a deal with the White House last week, the EU is delaying the retaliatory tariffs that it intended to impose on the U.S. by six months. Those EU countermeasures included levies on agricultural products, whiskey, and appliances. European goods will still face a 15 percent tariff.

And people looking to travel to the U.S. for business or tourism could soon face a new challenge. The State Department is proposing that some visa applicants meet new requirements to enter the country. It's starting a yearlong pilot program to protect the U.S. government from financial liability if visitors don't comply with the terms of their visas.

The program would require some travelers to post a bond of between $5,000 and $15,000. It would apply to applicants looking for both business and tourist visas and focus on travelers from countries with high visa overstay rates or deficient document security. The State Department says the program would take effect within 15 days of its formal publication. The bond would not apply to citizens of countries enrolled in the visa waiver program.

And Tesla is giving CEO Elon Musk a pay package worth $29 billion. Musk will receive 96 million Tesla shares currently worth more than $300 each, but he'll only have to pay about $23.00 per share. That was the purchase price offered in his 2018 pay package, which was struck down by a Delaware court. Musk is still appealing that ruling.

[05:35:05]

Tesla says Musk hasn't received a meaningful compensation for eight years and is owed a big payday. He promised back in May to focus full- time on his companies after delving into politics.

Still to come, a distress call from a United Airlines flight led to an emergency landing minutes after takeoff. Why that call was made -- that's ahead.

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[05:40:08]

LEE: Travelers at the world's busiest airport had to navigate an unexpected obstacle on the way to their gates. The ceiling in an area of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport started leaking on Monday before collapsing in a gush of brown water. Passengers captured video of the incident on their cellphones. The airport says it's investigating the cause. But the incident was quickly contained, the area was cleaned up and sanitized, and passengers rerouted to their gates.

A United Airlines flight made an emergency landing just minutes after takeoff in July. The airline says 230 people were on board the Boeing 787 bound for Munich, Germany from Washington Dulles International Airport. Then at nearly 5,000 feet the pilot reported suspected engine failure.

CNN's Pete Muntean has more on how that all unfolded.

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PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Admirable job by the crew dealing with this emergency and you'll hear how calm they were here in a second. Remember, this is something that pilots train for. Two engines on a Boeing 787. Losing one engine is a problem but hardly a recipe for disaster. Still able to fly on one engine with a lot of power in reserve.

I want you to listen now to the steady hand of the United crew here in declaring this emergency to air traffic control and starting the process of getting this flight back on the ground.

PILOT: Failure. Engine failure, left engine. United 108 declaring an emergency. Mayday, mayday, mayday.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: United 108 heavy -- Roger that, sir. Are you able to make your way back in to the field at this time? You can turn right heading 100 if able.

MUNTEAN: The problem arises because this happened not long after takeoff from Washington Dulles, meaning this flight was still full of fuel. Fuel means weight and large commercial jets often have a landing weight limit that is lower than the takeoff weight limit. The idea there is to prevent damage to the airplane and the landing gear.

So the solution in this scenario is dumping fuel in the air through nozzles in the wings. Not much of an environmental concern. This flight was at about 6,000 feet and usually fuel dumped about 5,000 evaporates completely by the time it reaches the ground.

After a couple of turns in the holding pattern this flight was back at Washington Dulles. The flight made it all the way back to the gate where passengers got off normally there. United did cancel this flight to Munich but says it was able to get passengers on different flights -- so mostly just a big inconvenience.

Pete Muntean, CNN, Washington.

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LEE: Passengers rushed to evacuate a PATH train that was on fire in New Jersey on Monday. Flames were seen rising from beneath the train as people ran to exit the station. Many passengers on the train car were heard screaming "Move!" and "Open the door" as they tried to get away from the flames. Officials say 13 people were treated for smoke inhalation and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Sean "Diddy" Combs has been denied bail again. When we return what the judge said and what it -- what it means for the rap mogul's sentencing.

And still ahead, law enforcement is scouring the Montana wilderness for a suspect in a deadly bar shooting. Coming up, why some say the terrain in the area will make finding the wanted Army veteran such a difficult task.

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[05:47:45]

LEE: Welcome back. I'm MJ Lee. Here are some of the stories we're watching today.

The Texas House of Representatives will reconvene later today but there's no indication they'll have enough lawmakers present to vote on a Republican plan to redraw congressional maps to their advantage. Dozens of Democrats have fled the state to block that vote. The Texas governor has threatened to arrest them.

The Trump administration's foreign envoy will travel to Russia on Wednesday, according to the White House. Steve Witkoff's trip comes days before Trump's deadline for Vladimir Putin to make a peace deal with Ukraine. The U.S. president has threatened to impose more sanctions on Russia if it does not comply.

And California's second-largest wildfire this year has now scorched more than 72,000 acres since Friday. The Gifford Fire is only three percent contained, and it has caused at least three injuries and prompted evacuation orders. Nearly 2,000 firefighters are battling those flames. Authorities are searching the area around a national forest for an

Army veteran suspected in the shooting deaths of four people inside a Montana bar. Investigators say Michael Paul Brown was last seen fleeing the scene in his underwear. And those who know the area believe there are thousands of places for Brown to hide.

CNN's Josh Campbell has more on the search.

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JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): For a fourth day authorities scoured the rugged Montana wilderness by land and air searching for a suspected mass shooter.

AUSTIN KNUDSEN, MONTANA ATTORNEY GENERAL: We've got a lot of expertise and a lot of knowledge of the area. We've got every cabin, every hinting site that's known up there pinned and there was a -- there is a tremendous number of assets focused on searching that area.

DAN BRUNNER, RETIRED FBI SPECIAL AGENT, BOZEMAN, MONTANA: One of the restrictions is the size of the state.

CAMPBELL (voiceover): The mountainous terrain and vast wildlands in this remote part of the state are offering their own challenges.

BRUNNER: So there's a lot of land and a lot -- not a lot of people. So there's not a lot of civilians that will be looking out their window looking for a suspicious person. This man could easily hide for multiple, multiple weeks if he had resources prepared for himself.

[05:50:00]

CAMPBELL (voiceover): The suspect, who officials believe is "well armed and extremely dangerous," is 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown, seen shirtless and shoeless on security footage fleeing the Owl Bar on Friday morning. Authorities say Brown lived next door to the bar and was a frequent patron. He was last seen driving a white Ford F150 pickup that they say was later found abandoned.

KNUDSEN: It was a stolen vehicle but there was camping equipment in it. We believe there is some clothing in it. So we -- at this point we have every reason to believe the suspect is fully clothes, shoes on his feet, and able to get around.

CAMPBELL (voiceover): As the search continues new details about the suspect are emerging.

Brown served in the Army from January 2001 to May 2005 and was part of an armored vehicle crew. He was deployed to Iraq from February 2004 to March 2005 and later joined the Montana National Guard for just under three years, leaving military service as a sergeant.

Brown's niece telling CNN in a Facebook message that he struggled with mental health in the Army and wasn't the same after his service -- noting his condition worsened after his parents died.

The Army declined to release information about Brown's mental health history citing policy and privacy constraints.

KNUDSEN: This is an unstable individual who walked in and murdered four people in cold blood for no reason whatsoever. So there absolutely is concern for the public.

CAMPBELL (voiceover): A town now on edge and in mourning for four lives lost in the mass shooting, including Nancy Kelley who recently retired from a career as a nurse working with cancer patients.

Josh Campbell, CNN.

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LEE: A federal judge has again denied a request from Sean "Diddy" Combs to be released on bail. On Monday, the disgraced rap mogul's lawyer petitioned for his release until his sentencing in October.

The judge had denied Combs' previous request for release just hours after a jury found him guilty on two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. Remaining in custody is mandatory for those charges unless Combs can prove that he's not a flight risk or a danger to others. The judge said in Monday's order that Combs had failed to meet those conditions.

The New York Post is expanding from the biggest city in the U.S. to the second-biggest. The East Coast tabloid says it will launch a sister publication in Los Angeles called the California Post. It's expected to have the same gossipy style and pun-heavy headlines as the original and just focus on the West Coast.

This is a mockup of the California Post that the company shared. The newspaper will have a daily print edition when it launches early next year.

When we come back, how one of Beyonce's songs has inspired a new collaboration with a well-known brand. Stay with us.

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[05:57:15]

DOLLY PARTON, SINGER-SONGWRITER, GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ICON: Singing "9 to 5."

LEE: That is, of course, "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton. With more studio albums and Grammy nominations than any other female country singer, Dolly Parton is already an American legend. And now she's also a Guinness Book of World Records icon.

The country star was honored as a Guinness recordholder who has influenced culture on a global scale. The award recognizes not just Parton's hit music career but other creative projects like her Broadway musical and Dollywood theme park. Guinness also honored Parton's efforts towards poverty relief, medical research, and her creation of the Imagination Library, a free books campaign for children. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PARTON: I take a lot of pride in it and I'm very humbled by it. I'm very proud to say that I've been around long enough to have done enough things to maybe deserve these things, and I never can believe it when I get all this to make one say I have this many. I just keep thinking well, I must've done something right. Praise the Lord and thanks to the fans.

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LEE: Beyonce and Levis have teamed up and the Beehive is loving it. In a new ad, Beyonce plays a pool shark with a few denim-on-denim outfits. Her song "Levis Jeans" is playing in the background. And Levis also features stills from Beyonce's video in their own posts online. Their photo showed Beyonce wearing what appeared to be the last denim outfit she wears in that video.

And if you are nostalgic for books from your childhood and also enjoy a hearty meal of SPAM and eggs, then this is the collaboration for you. Hormel and Dr. Seuss have teamed up to launch a limited edition "Green Eggs and SPAM" classic twin pack. It celebrates the 65th anniversary of the Dr. Suess beloved book "Green Eggs and Ham." The SPAM comes in a collectible can and is only available for a limited time.

And a belove giant panda marks a milestone with a sweet treat. Bao Li celebrated his fourth birthday on Monday at Washington's Smithsonian National Zoo. Zoo staff surprised the giant panda in his habitat with a panda-friendly cake made of frozen fruit. Visitors, both in person and online, showed up to watch the birthday boy dig in. You can see him right there. The celebration is part of the zoo's ongoing efforts to raise funds for panda conservation.

And thank you so much for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm MJ Lee in Washington, D.C. "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now.