Sunday Shows preview: College protests heat up nationwide, Noem faces backlash

The political tension around the ever-growing pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses will likely be the focus of this week’s Sunday news shows.

Two notable instances of violence breaking out at campuses amid the protests occurred Tuesday at Columbia University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), when both the New York Police Department (NYPD) and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) cracked down on pro-Palestinian protesters at the two schools. 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D), who had previously claimed that “outside agitators” were involved in protests at Columbia, will appear on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. He was pressed on those claims by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins Wednesday, to which he responded that there was “clear evidence of training that was conducted by an outside agitator, that was not a student, did not belong on the campus.”

Collins also asked Adams if there would be a “breakdown” from Adams’s office or the NYPD on how many of the people arrested Tuesday were actually Columbia students.

“Here’s what we can do, we’re allowed to do,” Adams said. “We’re going to give the complete list of those who are arrested and turn it over to the school, and the school will make the determination. We’re not going to release student’s name, but the school can make the determination of giving you a breakdown … of the difference between students and nonstudents. They would have that authorization to do so.”

Earlier this week, the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) college outreach arm expressed solidarity with the pro-Palestinian campus protests and gave President Biden a warning about increasing disillusionment with their party over how he is handling the current conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.

“The White House has taken the mistaken route of a bear hug strategy for [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] and a cold shoulder strategy for its own base and all Americans who want to see an end to this war,” the College Democrats of America said in a statement. “Each day that Democrats fail to stand united for a permanent ceasefire, two-state solution, and recognition of a Palestinian state, more and more youth find themselves disillusioned with the party.”

There have been questions about whether Biden’s policy in relation to Gaza could actually affect the needed turnout of the youth vote for his 2024 campaign, and Biden campaign co-chair and former Mayor of New Orleans Mitch Landrieu might have to confront those questions on CNN’s “State of the Union” this week.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) has been in the spotlight recently, but not just for being a possible vice presidential pick for former President Trump’s 2024 campaign. Noem, who will appear on CBS’ “Face the Nation” this week, has faced backlash for an anecdote from an upcoming book uncovered by The Guardian in which she said she took a family dog to a gravel pit on her property and shot it. 

Noem, who has called the dog “extremely dangerous,” wrote that it was “not a pleasant job” but “had to be done.”

Following the story of Noem’s dog going viral, a trio of lawmakers including Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Susan Wild, (D-Pa.) and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) announced the start of a Congressional dog lovers caucus/

“In light of recent events, we’re launching the Congressional Dog Lovers Caucus today!” Moskowitz said in a post on the social platform X. “This group dedicated to man’s best friend aims to foster bipartisan cooperation and will help put paws over politics.”

Below is the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this week’s Sunday talk shows:

NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday” — Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.).

ABC’s “This Week” — Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.); New York Mayor Eric Adams (D); Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade Commission.

NBC’s “Meet the Press” —  Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.); Cindy McCain, executive director of the United Nations World Food Program.

CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.); Fetterman; Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.); Queen Rania of Jordan.

CNN’s “State of the Union” — Mitch Landrieu, co-chair of President Biden’s reelection campaign; Gov. Doug Burgum (R-N.D.); Ben Sasse, president of the University of Florida.

“Fox News Sunday” — Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.); Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.); Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R),.

Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” — Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.); Republican National Committee co-Chair Lara Trump; former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe; Former New York Police Department Commissioner Ray Kelly.