Sunday shows preview: State governors and top medical officials prepare for next week of COVID-19 response

As the majority of Americans remain confined in their homes, the response of state governments, Congress, top medical officials and the Trump administration to the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. is expected to dominate the Sunday talk show lineup this weekend. 

Govs. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) and Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) — both of whom have taken drastic measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus in their states — are booked on ABC’s “This Week.” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), is also booked on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

The coronavirus has also taken a toll on the presidential primary field, leading many governors to postpone their primaries to avoid the spread of the disease. Notably, neither Democratic presidential candidate is booked on any cable show this Sunday as of Saturday afternoon. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been present at nearly every White House press briefing this week and has emerged a voice whose messaging regarding the virus is respected by both sides of the aisle. Fauci, along with former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb, are booked on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

The outbreak has taken a toll on the global economy and left thousands of people filing for unemployment in the U.S. as public health officials urge non-essential workers to stay at home. Peter Navarro, Assistant to the president for trade and manufacturing policy, has been involved with the administration’s response to the slow  economic downturn, and is booked on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”

The coronavirus outbreak has also brought questions over how it might affect immigration policy. The administration has closed both the southern and northern border, limiting crossing to “essential” travel only, as the White House also faces calls to release detainees in immigration facilities. 

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf is booked on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” Former acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, who was replaced by Chad Wolf in November, is booked on ABC’s “This Week,” while another previous Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh Johnson, is booked on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

ABC’s “This Week” — Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Peter Gaynor; Murphy, Whitmer; McAleenan.

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Gaynor; Hogan; Johnson.

CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Fauci; FedEx Chairman and CEO Fred Smith; former White House adviser Gary Cohn; Richard Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association; Gottlieb

CNN’s “State of the Union” — Gaynor; Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla.

Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” — Wolf; Navarro; Steve Bannon, Former White House Chief Strategist ; Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.); Alex Gorsky, Johnson & Johnson CEO