In the past week, the U.S. saw a pair of New Year’s Day attacks in Nevada and Louisiana that took multiple lives and injured dozens, and the 119th Congress kicked off with a packed first day.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was reelected to the highest post in the lower chamber in a lengthy first-round vote Friday afternoon. The Senate gavelled in on Friday and was less contentious as Vice President Harris swore in new chamber members. The new Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) made a vow, contending he would make sure to preserve the Senate filibuster. The body’s oldest and longest-serving senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) was sworn in as president pro tempore.
These topics are likely to be discussed on today’s Sunday shows.
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) is set to appear on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday,” while President-elect Trump’s incoming “border czar” Tom Homan is slated to appear on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” Homan will likely discuss the Trump administration’s plans for handling the U.S.-Mexico border.
Take a peek the full list of appearances here and check out today’s updates below.
Brennan presses Homan on Trump administration’s deportation plans
CBS News’s Margaret Brennan pressed President-elect Trump’s new border czar Tom Homan on the next administration’s mass deportation plans.
Homan joined Brennan on “Face the Nation” on Sunday, where he was asked about Trump’s plans for the largest deportation operation in history. Brennan asked the former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director for the number of deportations that the administration would consider a success.
Schumer would ‘love’ working with Trump to secure DACA deal
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Democrats would “love” to work with President-elect Trump on a deal for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.
Schumer joined NBC News’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, where he was asked about potential areas in which Democrats could work with Trump and his next administration, particularly as he plans to crack down on immigration.
Despite Trump’s wide deportation plans, he’s expressed interest in allowing DACA recipients, also known as dreamers, to remain in the country.
“Well, we’d love to do that,” Schumer said Sunday. “Our party has been strongly fighting for the dreamers for a decade.”
Gonzales says he’s ‘optimistic’ about Speaker Johnson’s leadership
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) said on Sunday he is optimistic about Republican governance over the coming year, saying the GOP is unified in passing a single reconciliation package and delivering on President-elect Trump’s “America first” agenda.
In an interview on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday,” Gonzales praised Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who was just reelected to his high-ranking post after receiving Trump’s endorsement.
Schiff says peaceful transfer of power has ‘another meaning’ after Jan. 6
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said he believes a peaceful transfer of power has “another meaning” after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Schiff joined NBC News’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, just before the fourth anniversary of rioters storming the building attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
Schiff, who sat on the House Select Committee to investigate President-elect Trump’s role in the attack, said it’s going to be an emotional anniversary as Trump prepares to take the White House again.
“Well, first of all, that day, when we peacefully transfer power – historically, peacefully transfer power is a real, solemn occasion, I think for the whole country, but it has a new meaning now that we had this terrible, violent attack four years ago,” Schiff said.
Schiff, who recently became a Senator, said there is a lot of “revisionist history” around that day as Trump prepares to pardon the Jan. 6 rioters when he takes office.
“If the president goes forward with pardoning vast numbers of people involved in that violence, he will begin his new administration the way he ended his last administration,” Schiff said, “and that is by celebrating violence against our democracy.”
Schumer says Democrats didn’t mislead Americans on Biden’s fitness
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Democrats didn’t mislead Americans on President Biden’s fitness.
Schumer joined NBC News’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, where he was asked about Americans who feel misled by Democrats about Biden’s mental acuity ahead of the 2024 election.
“Look, we didn’t,” Schumer said, adding that Biden has “had an amazing record.”
He highlighted Biden’s accomplishments in office, including passing significant amounts of legislation and appointing judges.
“He’s a patriot. He’s a great guy,” Schumer said. “And when he stepped down, he did it on his own because he thought it was better, not only for the Democratic Party, but for America.”
Schumer said Americans should salute Biden for stepping aside and allowing Vice President Harris to take on President-elect Trump in the election.
Host Kristen Welker asked the New York Democrat if he believes Biden, 82, would have been able to serve another four years if he didn’t drop out and won reelection.
“Well, I’m not going to speculate,” Schumer replied. “As I said, I think his record is a stellar one and he’ll go down in history as a really outstanding president.”
McCaul says New Orleans attack reminds him of Boston Marathon bombing
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the former Homeland Security Committee chair, said the recent terror attack in New Orleans reminds him of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
McCaul joined ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, where he was asked about the threat environment after the New Year’s Day attack, where a man drove a pickup truck down Bourbon Street, killing 14 people and injuring many more.
More information has been released about the suspect, 42-year-old, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who was carrying an ISIS flag and explosives. Jabbar’s online activity indicated he became interested in the extremist group.
“I would say the New Orleans case was radicalization online,” McCaul said.
Sen. Kelly says he has ‘big concerns’ about nominees for Defense sec, DNI
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said on Sunday that he has “big concerns” about Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Trump’s respective picks for Defense Secretary and Director of National Intelligence.
“We want qualified, serious people that are ready to do these jobs on day one in these jobs,” Kelly said, adding, “I’ve got some big concerns about their experience, their background.”
Kelly, who sits on the Intelligence and Armed Services committees, said he similarly has concerns about Kash Patel – Trump’s pick to lead the FBI – but that Patel would go before the Judiciary Committee, so Kelly said he would focus on the other two figures whom he’ll get to question as a member of his committees.
“We want people with the background and especially with national security positions, like DOD, like DNI, like the FBI, we want serious people that have a background to do these very, very hard jobs,” Kelly said.
He noted that the Department of Defense “is one of the biggest enterprises on the planet.”
“It’s a hard organization to manage, so I would like to see somebody that has some, you know, significant management experience, has some experience, maybe, creating defense policy or implementing defense policy.”
“In the case of Pete Hegseth, he doesn’t seem to have those, so I’m very interested in seeing what he has to say about his background and his experience that makes him qualified to do this challenging job,” he said.
Kelly: Senate Intel Committee to be briefed on New Orleans attack
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said on Sunday that the Intelligence Committee will get briefed on the New Orleans attack this coming week.
In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Kelly, who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he does not think the intelligence community had on their radar Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who was identified as the man shot and killed by police after the deadly New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
Kelly said he hopes to learn more at this week’s briefing.
McCaul hopes Trump recognizes NATO is ‘important ally’
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he hopes President-elect Trump recognizes that NATO is an “important ally.”
McCaul joined ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, where he discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine and what he hopes the next Trump administration will do internationally.
“I think NATO is stronger now, and I hope the president recognizes they’re an important ally,” he said.
With Trump set to take the White House for a second term, there are concerns about his plan for the Russia-Ukraine war. A friend to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump has said he could end the war in one day.
McCaul said that he thinks it would be a “horrible foreign policy decision” not to support Ukraine and allow Russia to take over the country. He noted that Russia has ties in the Middle East and China, and giving them more power would not work out well for western allies.
“I just think that they’re all in this together. We got to take it seriously,” he said. “If we can negotiate a peaceful settlement, great, but I think the Ukrainians need more leverage than the current administration has given them.”
Mayorkas discusses transition with Noem, Trump’s DHS pick
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he has spoken “substantively” with President-elect Trump’s choice to fill his seat, Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.).
Mayorkas joined ABC’s “This Week,” where he was asked about the administration transition. Noem was nominated by Trump to lead DHS, if she is confirmed by the Senate.
“I have spoken with Governor Noem a number of times, including on New Year’s Day and immediately thereafter, with respect to the horrific terrorist attack,” Mayorkas said Sunday.
Mayorkas: Sugar Bowl shows security success after New Orleans attack
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the security success of Thursday’s Sugar Bowl shows how measures worked after the New Orleans attack.
The Sugar Bowl, initially scheduled to be on Wednesday, was delayed a day after a man rammed a pickup truck down busy Bourbon Street, killing 14 people and injuring many more. The incident was being investigated as a terror attack and heightened security was implemented ahead of the college game.
“I think the successful conclusion of the Sugar Bowl is a powerful example of a response to a tragedy and precautionary measures taken in its wake,” Mayorkas said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”
Mayorkas said DHS worked closely with public officials and law enforcement in New Orleans to ensure the event was safe.
He said the department is proceeding cautiously as several high-profile events unfold in Washington soon, including the certification of the 2024 election in Congress, former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral and President-elect Trump’s inauguration.
Sen. Banks credits Trump for Speaker Johnson’s reelection
Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said on Sunday he doesn’t think Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) would have been reelected to his leadership post without the backing of President-elect Trump.
“Donald Trump weighed in in support of Mike Johnson. I don’t think Mike Johnson would be Speaker of the House this morning if Donald Trump wouldn’t have weighed in last week, spent political capital helping him get elected on one vote,” Banks said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“And to me, that’s a positive sign that House Republicans are unified behind Donald Trump, the Trump agenda,” he continued.
Klobuchar says DC is ready for Jan. 6 after ‘major changes’
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said on Sunday that she’s confident in Washington D.C.’s preparedness on Jan. 6, pointing to the “major changes” made to security and protocol after the attack four years ago.
“Yes,” Klobuchar said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” when anchor Jake Tapper asked whether D.C. is prepared for “whatever might happen” on Monday.
“And I’ll make clear that in any of these events, as you saw in New Orleans, horrible things can happen, and we know that. But how prepared are we?” Klobuchar continued.
Thune says his relationship with Trump is ‘evolving’
New Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said his relationship with President-elect Trump is “evolving.”
Thune initially backed Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in the GOP presidential primary but said he and Trump have a relationship where they understand what each person wants to accomplish.
“There is an alignment of incentives,” Thune said Sunday on NBC News’s “Meet the Press.” “We want to get to the same destination.”
Thune said he and Trump want the same things and will build off what he calls a “powerful combination.”
Thune: Unclear if all Trump Cabinet picks will be confirmed
New Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said it’s unclear if all of President-elect Trump’s Cabinet picks will be confirmed.
Thune joined NBC News’s “Meet the Press” for an interview that aired Sunday, as he took the lead of the upper chamber at the start of the 119th Congress.
“What I’ve promised them is a fair process,” Thune said of Trump’s picks. “And so, these nominees are going to go through a committee where they’re going to have to answer questions. There will be some hard questions posed.”