September 8, 2025 • 10 mins
In this Briefing, Jon Decker discusses President Trump's visit to the U.S. Open, highlighting the mixed reactions from the crowd and the controversy surrounding media coverage of the event. He also covers the recent slowdown in job creation in the U.S., with a focus on the implications for the economy and potential Federal Reserve actions. Additionally, Decker reports on the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, detailing Russia's recent attacks and the U.S. government's response. The White House Briefing Room can be heard daily on the iHeartRadio App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the White House Briefing Room for Monday, September
the eighth. I'm John Decker. President Trump makes a return
visit to the US Open in New York City. I
was there and I'll tell you all about it. And
the Labor Department reports a major slowdown in job creation
in the month of August, and the President gives his
(00:24):
immediate reaction, We're going to.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Get it all back in a very short period of time.
And big ones, big plans, incredible plans that were never
going to come back without without the tariffs, they wouldn't
have come back. And I think without the election of
November fifth, they wouldn't come back.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
And no indication that Russia will soon come to the
negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine. But we
begin with the President's trip on Sunday to the US
Open in Flushing Meadows, New York. Now, for me, the
President's visit to the US Open was an instance of
my world's colliding. This marked my thirtieth year of covering
(01:01):
the US Open, and it also marks my thirtieth year
of covering the White House. I learned of the President's
upcoming visit to New York City for the US Open.
Much earlier in the week, I was invited to be
a part of the pool that would travel from the
White House all the way up to New York City
for this visit. I declined because I was already up
(01:23):
in New York City. I was covering the men's semi
finals the women's championship, and I didn't want to return
all the way back to Andrea's Air Force Base just
to fly up on Air Force one for this visit.
So I was there when the President arrived. But even
before the President's visit, there was a bit of controversy
concerning what to expect when the President arrived on the
(01:47):
grounds at the US Open, and what to expect when
the president ultimately would be shown on the big screens
inside Arthur Ash Stadium. Just a day before the President arrived,
in internal email was sent by the US Tennis Association
leadership to US Open broadcasters. It requested that broadcasters essentially
(02:09):
censor any possible protests or other reactions to President Trump's
presence at the US Open Men's final. Between Janick Center
of Italy and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain. Here's the key
text from the USKEA email it reads. With respect to
(02:29):
broadcast coverage, the President will be shown on the World
feed and the Ash Court feed during the opening anthem ceremony.
We ask all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing any disruptions
or reactions in response to the President's attendance in any capacity,
including electronic news gathering coverage. Now, to me, the world
(02:54):
has changed so much that this type of edict coming
from the USTA makes no sense. After all, literally everybody
inside Arthur Ash Stadium, including all the reporters covering the
US Open, have smartphones. They can all take video of
themselves and send it out on social media for the
world to see. If indeed there was any type of
(03:16):
negative reaction to when President Trump arrived at the US Open,
there were three separate reactions from the crowd when President
Trump emerged in his suite he was hosted by Rolex
for the Tennis Championship. About forty five minutes before the
match started, he briefly emerged from this suite and you
(03:38):
could hear a mix of booze and cheers from Arthur
Ash Stadium that was still mostly empty. The President appeared
again to more booze before the national anthem, standing in salute.
The President was shown briefly on Arthur ash Stadium's big
screens during the anthem, and there were booze during that
(03:59):
period of time, but there were also some cheers for
the president. The final time, the third time that the
President was shown on the big screen, came after the
first set ended that was won by Carlos Alcarez. At
that point, the President was shown on the big screen
and that elicited a roar of some louder booze, some whistles,
(04:21):
but also some cheers. Here's some sound from video that
I took from my seat inside Arthur ash Stadium, and
I'll let you judge for yourself. Now. Unfortunately, for many fans,
(04:52):
they may not have gotten a chance to actually have
seen President Trump during those first, second, or third appearances
up on the big screens, and the reason had to
do with the increased security to get into Arthur Asher
Stadium because of the presidents of President Trump. Thousands of
fans were still far from the entrance to Arthur Asher
(05:15):
Stadium when play eventually began at two thirty in the afternoon,
and that was a delay of a full half hour
because of the long wait time to get through security.
The President brought with him on Air Force One a
number of his top aides and advisors and White House
staff to watch the tennis along with him. Among those
(05:38):
attending with the President white House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt,
the Attorney General Pam Bondi, Treasury Secretary Scott Besson, Special
Envoy Steve Whitcoff, who sat right next to the President
in that suite in Arthur Asher Stadium, and Susie Wiles,
the White House Chief of Staff. And there were all
(06:00):
also all kinds of celebrities on hand besides President Trump.
Pink was there, Bruce Springsteen, Martha Stewart, John Hamm, a
number of celebrities that were shown up on the big
screen during the course of the match, and they essentially
all got positive reactions when their faces were shown up
(06:20):
on the big screen. The President was excited enough about
his trip to tell reporters on Air Force One during
the flight to New York that Air Force One, he said,
was going to do a flyover over Ash Stadium, even
though the roof was covered, which kept those who were inside,
(06:40):
like myself, from actually seeing Air Force one flying overhead.
As for the match itself, as a tennis fan, and
as a tennis reporter besides a White House correspondent, I
was disappointed it was a four setter. Carlos Alcaraz one
in four sets and what it means at the end
of this calendar year, Carlos Alcaraz wins two Grand slams
(07:03):
and Janick Center wins two Grand slams. Also in the
news on Friday, the August Jobs report released by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics. It shows that US job growth
continued to slow down in the month of August, just
twenty two thousand new jobs created in the month, and
this report adds to really what can best be described
(07:26):
as a stagnant job market right now. The government also
revised its numbers from previous months. It said that the
economy lost thirteen thousand jobs in June and it was
the first such decline since December of twenty twenty. Also
in that job's report, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported
(07:47):
that US factories lost twelve thousand jobs in August. The
President was asked about these latest numbers on Friday in
the Oval Office and he tried to put a positive
spin on these latest numbers. Let's listen to the President
right here.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
And our big year won't be really next year. I
think it'll be the year after, because when these plans
start opening up takes a period of time to build up.
We're going to have tremendous job growth. It's unprecedented.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Now, the US has added just five hundred and ninety
eight thousand jobs so far in twenty twenty five, and
outside of twenty twenty when the pandemic hit, that's the
fewest for the first eight months of the year since
two thousand and nine, that's when the economy was really
buckled by that financial crisis. All of this means that
(08:38):
a federal reserve rate cut happening this month is practically guaranteed.
More news out of the war in Ukraine as well.
Russia overnight struck Ukraine with the largest aerial bombardment of
the three and a half year war. It hit a
government building in the heart of the capital of Ukraine
(09:00):
the first time. Altogether, Russia fired thirteen missiles. It launched
more than eight hundred attack drones. That's according to Ukraine's
Air Force, and that's a record for the number of
drones it is directed at Ukraine in a single night. Now,
the President last week, said he was very disappointed with
Russian President Putin, but so far has stopped short of
(09:23):
imposing further sanctions on Russia. And on Sunday, after the
President returned from the US Open in New York, he
was asked if he was ready to move to the
second phase of sanctioning Russia and punishing Russian President Vladimir Putin,
and the President said yes, So we'll certainly keep our
(09:44):
eye on that. As for Monday, just one item on
the President's schedule. It's happening in the morning. The President,
according to the White House, will deliver remarks to the
White House Religious Liberty Commission that will happen at the
Museum of the Bible. So we'll keep our eye on that.
We'll keep our eye as well on other news that
(10:06):
emanates from the White House this coming week. That's it
for the White House Briefing Room for Monday, September the eighth.
I'm John Decker. Have a good one.
Welcome to the White House Briefing Room for Monday, September
the eighth. I'm John Decker. President Trump makes a return
visit to the US Open in New York City. I
was there and I'll tell you all about it. And
the Labor Department reports a major slowdown in job creation
in the month of August, and the President gives his
(00:24):
immediate reaction, We're going to.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Get it all back in a very short period of time.
And big ones, big plans, incredible plans that were never
going to come back without without the tariffs, they wouldn't
have come back. And I think without the election of
November fifth, they wouldn't come back.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
And no indication that Russia will soon come to the
negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine. But we
begin with the President's trip on Sunday to the US
Open in Flushing Meadows, New York. Now, for me, the
President's visit to the US Open was an instance of
my world's colliding. This marked my thirtieth year of covering
(01:01):
the US Open, and it also marks my thirtieth year
of covering the White House. I learned of the President's
upcoming visit to New York City for the US Open.
Much earlier in the week, I was invited to be
a part of the pool that would travel from the
White House all the way up to New York City
for this visit. I declined because I was already up
(01:23):
in New York City. I was covering the men's semi
finals the women's championship, and I didn't want to return
all the way back to Andrea's Air Force Base just
to fly up on Air Force one for this visit.
So I was there when the President arrived. But even
before the President's visit, there was a bit of controversy
concerning what to expect when the President arrived on the
(01:47):
grounds at the US Open, and what to expect when
the president ultimately would be shown on the big screens
inside Arthur Ash Stadium. Just a day before the President arrived,
in internal email was sent by the US Tennis Association
leadership to US Open broadcasters. It requested that broadcasters essentially
(02:09):
censor any possible protests or other reactions to President Trump's
presence at the US Open Men's final. Between Janick Center
of Italy and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain. Here's the key
text from the USKEA email it reads. With respect to
(02:29):
broadcast coverage, the President will be shown on the World
feed and the Ash Court feed during the opening anthem ceremony.
We ask all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing any disruptions
or reactions in response to the President's attendance in any capacity,
including electronic news gathering coverage. Now, to me, the world
(02:54):
has changed so much that this type of edict coming
from the USTA makes no sense. After all, literally everybody
inside Arthur Ash Stadium, including all the reporters covering the
US Open, have smartphones. They can all take video of
themselves and send it out on social media for the
world to see. If indeed there was any type of
(03:16):
negative reaction to when President Trump arrived at the US Open,
there were three separate reactions from the crowd when President
Trump emerged in his suite he was hosted by Rolex
for the Tennis Championship. About forty five minutes before the
match started, he briefly emerged from this suite and you
(03:38):
could hear a mix of booze and cheers from Arthur
Ash Stadium that was still mostly empty. The President appeared
again to more booze before the national anthem, standing in salute.
The President was shown briefly on Arthur ash Stadium's big
screens during the anthem, and there were booze during that
(03:59):
period of time, but there were also some cheers for
the president. The final time, the third time that the
President was shown on the big screen, came after the
first set ended that was won by Carlos Alcarez. At
that point, the President was shown on the big screen
and that elicited a roar of some louder booze, some whistles,
(04:21):
but also some cheers. Here's some sound from video that
I took from my seat inside Arthur ash Stadium, and
I'll let you judge for yourself. Now. Unfortunately, for many fans,
(04:52):
they may not have gotten a chance to actually have
seen President Trump during those first, second, or third appearances
up on the big screens, and the reason had to
do with the increased security to get into Arthur Asher
Stadium because of the presidents of President Trump. Thousands of
fans were still far from the entrance to Arthur Asher
(05:15):
Stadium when play eventually began at two thirty in the afternoon,
and that was a delay of a full half hour
because of the long wait time to get through security.
The President brought with him on Air Force One a
number of his top aides and advisors and White House
staff to watch the tennis along with him. Among those
(05:38):
attending with the President white House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt,
the Attorney General Pam Bondi, Treasury Secretary Scott Besson, Special
Envoy Steve Whitcoff, who sat right next to the President
in that suite in Arthur Asher Stadium, and Susie Wiles,
the White House Chief of Staff. And there were all
(06:00):
also all kinds of celebrities on hand besides President Trump.
Pink was there, Bruce Springsteen, Martha Stewart, John Hamm, a
number of celebrities that were shown up on the big
screen during the course of the match, and they essentially
all got positive reactions when their faces were shown up
(06:20):
on the big screen. The President was excited enough about
his trip to tell reporters on Air Force One during
the flight to New York that Air Force One, he said,
was going to do a flyover over Ash Stadium, even
though the roof was covered, which kept those who were inside,
(06:40):
like myself, from actually seeing Air Force one flying overhead.
As for the match itself, as a tennis fan, and
as a tennis reporter besides a White House correspondent, I
was disappointed it was a four setter. Carlos Alcaraz one
in four sets and what it means at the end
of this calendar year, Carlos Alcaraz wins two Grand slams
(07:03):
and Janick Center wins two Grand slams. Also in the
news on Friday, the August Jobs report released by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics. It shows that US job growth
continued to slow down in the month of August, just
twenty two thousand new jobs created in the month, and
this report adds to really what can best be described
(07:26):
as a stagnant job market right now. The government also
revised its numbers from previous months. It said that the
economy lost thirteen thousand jobs in June and it was
the first such decline since December of twenty twenty. Also
in that job's report, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported
(07:47):
that US factories lost twelve thousand jobs in August. The
President was asked about these latest numbers on Friday in
the Oval Office and he tried to put a positive
spin on these latest numbers. Let's listen to the President
right here.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
And our big year won't be really next year. I
think it'll be the year after, because when these plans
start opening up takes a period of time to build up.
We're going to have tremendous job growth. It's unprecedented.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Now, the US has added just five hundred and ninety
eight thousand jobs so far in twenty twenty five, and
outside of twenty twenty when the pandemic hit, that's the
fewest for the first eight months of the year since
two thousand and nine, that's when the economy was really
buckled by that financial crisis. All of this means that
(08:38):
a federal reserve rate cut happening this month is practically guaranteed.
More news out of the war in Ukraine as well.
Russia overnight struck Ukraine with the largest aerial bombardment of
the three and a half year war. It hit a
government building in the heart of the capital of Ukraine
(09:00):
the first time. Altogether, Russia fired thirteen missiles. It launched
more than eight hundred attack drones. That's according to Ukraine's
Air Force, and that's a record for the number of
drones it is directed at Ukraine in a single night. Now,
the President last week, said he was very disappointed with
Russian President Putin, but so far has stopped short of
(09:23):
imposing further sanctions on Russia. And on Sunday, after the
President returned from the US Open in New York, he
was asked if he was ready to move to the
second phase of sanctioning Russia and punishing Russian President Vladimir Putin,
and the President said yes, So we'll certainly keep our
(09:44):
eye on that. As for Monday, just one item on
the President's schedule. It's happening in the morning. The President,
according to the White House, will deliver remarks to the
White House Religious Liberty Commission that will happen at the
Museum of the Bible. So we'll keep our eye on that.
We'll keep our eye as well on other news that
(10:06):
emanates from the White House this coming week. That's it
for the White House Briefing Room for Monday, September the eighth.
I'm John Decker. Have a good one.
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