Sunday shows preview: Trump escalates Cabinet shake-up

President Trump’s continued shake-up of top advisers and Cabinet officials is set to come under the microscope on the Sunday shows this week following the abrupt ouster of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin.

In the wake of Trump’s Wednesday announcement that he would replace Shulkin with White House physician Ronny Jackson, the now-former VA secretary made a series of television appearances in which he reflected on his dismissal.

“Every Cabinet member serves at the pleasure of the president and it’s the president’s prerogative to have a team around him that he thinks is doing the job,” Shulkin told Fox News on Thursday, acknowledging that Trump “wasn’t happy with the pace” at the VA.

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Shulkin is set to make two more TV appearances Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” and NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where he’s sure to be pressed for details of his dismissal.

One detail that remains a focus of contention is whether Shulkin was fired or resigned from his post.

While the former VA secretary has maintained he was abruptly ousted, the White House asserted in a report Saturday that Shulkin stepped down.

Shulkin was at least the fourth senior Trump administration official to resign or be dismissed this month.

The series of shakeups began March 6 when Trump’s chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn, abruptly announced he would leave the administration amid a disagreement over the president’s proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

The following week featured the unceremonious firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and continued last week with Trump’s decision to replace national security adviser H.R. McMaster with former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton.

After Tillerson’s dismissal, Trump declared that he was moving closer “to having the Cabinet and other things that I want.” The shake-ups have also fueled speculation that more departures could be on the horizon.

The Sunday morning news shows appear poised to focus on the additions and departures from the Trump administration.

Here’s the full lineup:

NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Shulkin and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) are set to appear on the show.

“Fox News Sunday”: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) will be on.

CBS’s “Face the Nation”: Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will make appearances, as well Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, will also be on.

CNN’s “State of the Union”: Shulkin and Sanders will both make appearances.

ABC’s “This Week”: Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) will appear on the show. He’ll be joined by Andrew Young, a former U.S. ambassador to the U.N.