Sunday shows preview: 2020 candidates look to South Carolina

South Carolina’s primary is expected to dominate Sunday talk shows as White House hopefuls and lawmakers hit the morning show circuit.

The Palmetto State will transform into the heart of the 2020 primary cycle after the conclusion of Nevada’s caucuses Saturday. The South Carolina contest on Feb. 29 will be the first opportunity for Democratic candidates to prove their appeal among black voters, who make up around 60 percent of the primary electorate in the state.

Polls show Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Vice President Joe Biden battling for first place, with billionaire Tom Steyer spending big in the state in hopes of a top-tier finish.

Biden and Steyer are set to appear on CBS’ “Face the Nation” and “Fox News Sunday,” respectively. Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the No. 3 House Democrat who holds significant sway in South Carolina politics, will appear on ABC’s “This Week” and NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is set to appear on MSNBC’s “Politics Nation” with host Al Sharpton. Bloomberg was rising in the polls heading into this week’s Nevada debate after unleashing a hefty advertising blitz, though his debate performance and controversies over his past comments about women and stop and frisk have thrust uncertainty into his presidential prospects.

The Sunday shows will be televised as Washington grapples with recent revelations that Russia is already meddling in the 2020 race to support Sanders and President Trump.

Marc Short, chief of staff to Vice President Pence, will appear on “Meet the Press” and “Fox News Sunday,” and White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien will be featured on “Face the Nation.”

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will be on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Reps. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) and John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) will appear on Fox’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” 

Here’s the full Sunday show lineup:

ABC’s “This Week” — O’Brien; Clyburn

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Clyburn; Short

CBS’ “Face the Nation” — O’Brien; Biden

CNN’s “State of the Union” — Murphy

Fox News Channel’s “Fox News Sunday” — Short; Steyer

Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” — Peter Navarro, Assistant to the President for Trade and Manufacturing Policy, Candace Owens, Host, “The Candace Owens Show” // Author, “Blackout”, Graham, Collins and Ratcliffe