Sunday shows preview: Questions linger over Trump-Putin summit

Scrutiny over President Trump’s handling of Russia reached a fever pitch this week, as the fallout over Trump’s comments on Russian election interference and his invitation for Putin to visit Washington, D.C., for a second visit dominated Washington.

Lawmakers from both parties have demanded to know what Trump and Putin discussed during their nearly two hour-long meeting in Finland on Monday. Trump stunned politicians and intelligence officials by appearing to side with Putin’s denials of election interference in a press conference following the meeting.

Trump attempted to walk back the comments in a statement Tuesday, saying he misspoke and that he accepts the U.S. intelligence community’s findings that Russia interfered in the election. But questions remain.

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The president added fuel to his controversial week on Thursday when the White House announced that Putin had been invited to Washington, D.C., for a second meeting in the fall.

Republicans have raised concerns over the prospect of a second summit with Putin, as few details of the first private meeting have been revealed. GOP lawmakers are urging Trump to disclose what the two leaders discussed after a Russian official said they reached “important verbal agreements.”

Lawmakers from both parties who have weighed in on Trump’s handling of Russia are set to appear on the Sunday morning shows this week, where the conversation is sure to continue.

Democrats set to appear on the Sunday shows include Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, on ABC’s “This Week” and Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) on “Fox News Sunday.”

Top Republicans Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) are both set to appear on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” while House Oversight Committee chair Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) will speak on “Fox News Sunday.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Secretary of State John Kerry will both appear on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” Both men have been publicly critical of Trump’s statements on Russia.

Here’s the full line-up:

“Fox News Sunday”: Gowdy and Menendez will both appear on the program.

CBS’s “Face the Nation”: Sanders, Rubio, Menendez and Kerry will be interviewed on the show. Democratic congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who recently campaigned with Sanders, will also make an appearance.

CNN’s “State of the Union”: Rubio will also appear on the show, joined by Democratic Reps. Seth Moulton (Mass.) and Pramila Jayapal (Wash.).

ABC’s “This Week”: Schiff is the only guest scheduled to appear.

NBC’s “Meet the Press”: The show is pre-empted by coverage for the British Open.