Sunday Talk Shows

Sunday shows preview: Washington heads into multi-day shutdown

Washington insiders will debate the partial shutdown of the federal government and other topics on the Sunday’s news shows as the Trump administration heads into the second day of reduced operations as a result of lapsed funding for about 25 percent of the government.

President Trump and Congress were unable to reach a deal before the end of business on Friday, several days after the president threatened to shut the government down last week over insufficient funding for border security initiatives including his plan for a wall or fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Incoming White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, currently President Trump’s head of the Office of Management and Budget, will appear on ABC’s “This Week” to discuss the White House’s perspective on the multi-day shutdown. The president has said both that he hopes the shutdown will be short but could last a “very long” time.

Outgoing Republican Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.), who was vocal in his criticism of the White House’s handling of funding negotiations on Friday, will also appear on CNN’s “State of the Union” to discuss his views on the shutdown. Corker lamented Friday that talk radio hosts Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter had openly pressured Trump to not accept a deal from Congress that did not fully fund his plans for a border wall.

Another top issue likely to be discussed Sunday is the president’s withdrawal of U.S. troops from anti-ISIS operations in Syria, which shocked many in Washington this week and drew criticism from the foreign policy establishment while simultaneously receiving praise from members of Congress who note that the U.S. has no formal declaration of war in Syria.

Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will appear on “Fox News Sunday,” where he will likely discuss the issue, while Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R), who has long criticized U.S. policy in the Middle East will appear on CBS and CNN.

Here’s the full lineup:

CNN’s “State of the Union”: Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).

“Fox News Sunday”: Outgoing Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), former Housing Secretary and possible 2020 Democratic candidate for president Julian Castro.

ABC’s “This Week”: Incoming White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

CBS’s “Face the Nation”: Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).