Sunday shows preview: Trump, DOJ battle over Mar-a-Lago probe continues; King Charles III ascends the throne

Continuing battles over the FBI’s investigation into the documents former President Trump kept at Mar-a-Lago and King Charles III’s ascension to the British throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth II are expected to dominate the discussion on this Sunday’s talk shows. 

Trump and the Justice Department (DOJ) each submitted the names of two candidates Friday to potentially serve as a special master to review the documents that the FBI took at the former president’s Palm Beach, Fla., property last month. 

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled in favor of Trump’s request on Monday to have a special master appointed to review if the documents the FBI took are protected by attorney-client or executive privilege. The ruling blocked the DOJ from reviewing the materials while the special master does its work. 

But the department appealed the ruling on Thursday, asking the judge to partially stay her ruling blocking investigators from accessing the classified materials that the FBI took. If Cannon grants the stay, the DOJ would be able to review about 100 of the roughly 10,000 documents taken. 

Legal experts said they viewed Cannon’s decision to appoint a special master as unusual, saying it does not meet the legal test that lawyers analyze when asking for one to resolve legal disputes. 

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on Thursday during a press appearance that he wants to ensure the appointment of a special master does not slow down the investigation of the damage that could have been done. 

He said he has not yet heard when the intelligence committee will receive a briefing from U.S. intelligence officials on the situation, but he is pushing to receive updated information. 

He said lives can and have been lost due to the mishandling of information and the country can be made less safe.

Warner said late last month after a partially redacted affidavit that provided the FBI’s justification for executing a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago was publicly released that the document suggested some of the country’s “most sensitive information” was mishandled. He said the DOJ investigation should be allowed to proceed “without interference.” 

Warner will appear on CBS’s “Face the Nation” and CNN’s “State of the Union.” 

Former first lady, Secretary of State and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has expressed concerns about Trump’s handling of classified and sensitive documents at Mar-a-Lago. She has also rejected comparisons that Republicans have made between the situation and her handling of classified information on a private email server while serving as secretary of state. 

Clinton tweeted “I can’t believe we’re still talking about this, but my emails…” on Tuesday, referencing the investigation that became a major point of discussion during her 2016 presidential run. 

She said Republicans are attempting to make the investigation about her, proposing that the FBI should follow a “standard” that they set when they declined to prosecute her for her handling of the materials. 

Clinton will also appear on “State of the Union.” 

Meanwhile, Republicans have continued to slam the investigation as politically motivated and an abuse of power. 

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who will appear on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” has called for Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray to testify before the House Judiciary Committee about the investigation into the materials at Mar-a-Lago. 

He suggested in a letter to Garland that the DOJ was leaking information to the media to create a “one-sided narrative.” 

Several pieces of information about what the FBI found have been reported in the aftermath of the search, including the revelation this week that a document containing information on a foreign nation’s nuclear capabilities was found at Mar-a-Lago. 

The death of Queen Elizabeth II and the succession of King Charles III as monarch of the United Kingdom will likely also be featured in discussions. The queen’s death on Thursday ended her 70-year reign, the longest in the country’s history. 

King Charles gave his first address as monarch on Friday, telling the country that he plans to serve by his mother’s example and will “uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation.” He received largely positive reviews from many British commentators for his remarks. 

Karen Pierce, the British ambassador to the U.S., told Fox News’ Bret Baier on “Special Report” on Friday that many Americans have come to the British embassy in Washington, D.C. to leave flowers for the queen. She said that “it is so good to see ordinary American people give up their day to come and pay their respects to the queen.” 

Pierce, who will appear on “Face the Nation” and “State of the Union,” said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that the queen was a “great admirer and friend to America.” Pierce said the queen often spoke about the two countries’ shared values and “freedom-loving, common-law heritage.” 

Jane Hartley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, will appear on “Fox News Sunday.” She said in a statement after the queen’s death that she expresses her condolences to the royal family on behalf of the American people and that her “life of service” has been a gift to her country and the world. 

“There has been no greater steward of the alliance of friendship and cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom than Queen Elizabeth,” Hartley said. “Her dedication to public service is an example to us all.” 

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

ABC’s “This Week” — To be announced. 

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Vice President Kamala Harris 

CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.); Karen Pierce, British ambassador to the U.S.; Oksana Markarova, Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S.; Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba of Jackson, Mississippi; retired Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie 

CNN’s “State of the Union” — Warner; Pierce; former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen 

“Fox News Sunday” — Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.); Jane Hartley, U.S. ambassador to Britain 

Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.); former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; Herschel Walker, Georgia Republican nominee for Senate; Rep. Mayra Flores (R-Texas)