Sunday show preview: Government shutdown stretches into weekend; Trump layoffs loom
The government shutdown has now lasted for about four days in a faceoff between Republicans standing strong on their non-negotiables and Democrats holding firm to their demands to prioritize funding for health care.
House GOP lawmakers returned to their districts on Friday for designated “work periods” at the direction of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who reaffirmed Republicans’ commitment to resume legislative sessions when Senate Democrats vote to fund the government.
“The House will come back into session and do its work as soon as Chuck Schumer allows us to reopen the government,” Johnson said on Friday, blaming the Senate minority leader (D-N.Y.) for federal closures.
As uncertainty bubbles for leaders in Washington and federal government employees nationwide, Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) are set to plead their case to the American people during concurrent appearances on NBC’s “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker.”
Schumer and Johnson will also appear on CBS News’s “Face the Nation.”
In addition to questions about the shutdown, Johnson may be asked to address why GOP leadership has refused to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.).
During Jeffries’s Sunday show appearance, he will likely reflect on several memes and AI-generated videos posted by the president, who mocked Democrats’ push to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies and reverse cuts to Medicaid amidst the shutdown.
“Everything that President Trump has done subsequent to Monday has been unhinged and unserious,” the House minority leader said during a previous appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Still, President Trump has argued the shutdown will only grant him more power to cancel programs supported by Democrats and order mass layoffs for federal workers.
“I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent,” Trump wrote in a Thursday Truth Social post.
“I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity. They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he added.
While thousands await their fate, military servicemembers listened to speeches about their destiny to help the Trump administration undo “political correctness” and “woke” agendas ushered in by former presidents during a meeting of top generals and admirals in Quantico, Va., earlier in the week.
Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth each gave unusual addresses to the top military leaders, with the president alleging the country was suffering an “invasion from within.”
The president then suggested that Democratic-led cities be used as “training grounds” for troops. The statement raised concerns among Democratic party members and ex-military officials alike who decried the remarks as “bizarre” and “unsettling.”
Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), a combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient known for her harsh criticism of the Trump administration and Hegseth’s leadership, is set to appear on “Face the Nation” to discuss her thoughts about the comments made in Quantico. Hegseth himself will appear on Fox News’s “The Sunday Briefing.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also set to appear on “Face the Nation” as well as Fox News’s “Fox News Sunday” and ABC’s “This Week.”
Rubio and Duckworth will likely speak about a proposed peace deal for Israel and Hamas charted by the Trump administration.
The 20-point peace plan would ward off further strikes from Israel and promises to turn over the Gaza strip to an independent Palestinian body in exchange for the return of all living and dead hostages. Both Israel and Hamas have signaled partial agreement to the plan, but Trump has warned parties should act quickly in entering a formal deal.
These topics and more will be addressed during this week’s Sunday shows. See the full list of guests below:
NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday”: Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio), Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin
NBC’s “Meet the Press”: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Secretary of State Marco Rubio
CBS News’s “Face the Nation”: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges
CNN’s “State of the Union”: Sen. Ruben Gallego (R-Ariz.), Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D), National Economic Council (NEC) Director Kevin Hassett
Fox News’s “Fox News Sunday”: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.)
Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures”: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Trump Media CEO and Former Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.); New York City Mayoral Candidate and Former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo (I)
Fox News’s “The Sunday Briefing”: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fl.)
ABC’s “This Week”: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Adm. James Stavridis, Retired Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli