Sunday shows preview: US-Iran tensions flare; Democrats grapple with Platner fallout

Sunday Talk Shows Sunday shows preview: US-Iran tensions flare; Democrats grapple with Platner fallout Comments: by Sarah Davis - 07/11/26 4:40 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Sarah Davis - 07/11/26 4:40 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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President Trump’s trip to Turkey this week for the NATO alliance’s summit made big headlines over his comments about the state of U.S.-Iranian negotiations and security risks posed by the Iran war.

The president told reporters on his way back from the summit on Wednesday that he was Iran’s “No. 1” target. Trump made the comment after a journalist asked him whether security risks were behind his decision to take the older Air Force One over the new Qatari-gifted plane.

He brushed aside safety concerns, saying the planes were swapped to allow the new Air Force One to travel to an air base in the U.K. for troops to view — an explanation that several reporters viewed with skepticism.

The president’s comments about Iranian threats came amid renewed fighting between the two sides over accused infractions of a recently-inked ceasefire agreement.

Former U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Gen. Frank McKenzie will join CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” and Senate Armed Service Committee member Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) will appear on Fox News’s “Fox News Sunday” this weekend to discuss these military operations.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker will also join “Fox News Sunday” and CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday to share more information about the president’s participation in this summit.

Additionally, Graham Platner’s departure from the Maine Senate race this week threw this closely-watched midterm race into new uncertainty.

The Democratic Party’s nominee officially exited the race on Friday after several key political allies pulled their endorsements in light of a new allegation of sexual assault against the candidate. Platner has denied any wrongdoing related to this claim and suggested the allegation was intended to force him off the ballot.

Several Maine Democrats have already put themselves forward to replace Platner in the race. The state party has until July 27 to appoint a new nominee to take on incumbent GOP Sen. Susan Collins in the November election.

Democrats also raised alarm bells this week after Trump fired the remaining Democratic members of the independent Election Assistance Commission on Thursday. This panel is responsible for assisting voters in participating in the election process and helping officials carry out elections.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) condemned the move and vowed to “fight this power grab at every turn.”

Democratic lawmakers are also demanding answers after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo on Tuesday. The Mexican immigrant had been living in Houston as a homebuilder for over 35 years.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, said the officer was acting in self defense. Meanwhile, Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) said Salgado Araujo was not the intended target of the agency’s investigation.

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) criticized the killing of this “loving father and husband” in a statement shared on social media.

“This latest tragedy is a reminder of why we’ve been fighting for real reforms of DHS and an end to this administration’s cruel and dangerous immigration agenda,” the Democratic lawmaker wrote.

Schiff will appear on NBC News’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

See the full list of guests on the Sunday morning news shows below:

NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday”: Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

CBS News’s “Face the Nation”: Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Leiter, former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), former U.S. Central Command commander Gen. Frank McKenzie, White House border czar Tom Homan

CNN’s “State of the Union”: Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker

Fox News’s “Fox News Sunday”: Jim Banks (R-Ind.), U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, Cuban Ambassador to the U.N. Ernesto Soberón Guzmán

NBC News’s “Meet the Press”: Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)

Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures”: U.S. Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.)

ABC’s “This Week”: Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz