Sunday shows preview: Trump administration gears up for new week of coronavirus response; Sanders prepares for next phase of primaries

The Trump administration’s response to the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S., the six primaries taking place Tuesday and the status of the recently signed Taliban peace deal are topics expected to dominate the Sunday talk show lineup this weekend. 

The Democratic primary field has drastically changed since last week, as several candidates dropped out of the race, leaving Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Vice President Joe Biden in what is virtually a one-on-one battle for the remaining delegates. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) is the only other candidate left in the 2020 race, but her campaign has yet to garner any significant traction thus far.

Super Tuesday bumped Sanders, who was once the front-runner, down to second place behind Biden in the delegate count. The nominating contests this Tuesday will give Sanders the opportunity to catch up to Biden, as six states hit the polls, including the delegate-rich state of Michigan.

The Vermont senator is booked on ABC’s “This Week,” NBC’s “Meet the Press,” CNN’s “State of the Union” and “Fox News Sunday.” Biden, notably, is not booked on any cable TV Sunday shows as of Saturday afternoon. 

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Surgeon General Jerome Adams, all members of the administration’s coronavirus task force, are booked on every major Sunday cable TV talk show. 

As of Saturday afternoon, there are 401 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the U.S. and 17 deaths, according to updated data from Johns Hopkins University. Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee (D), whose state has been hit hardest by the virus, is booked on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who declared a state of emergency Saturday over the virus, is booked on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”

Democratic lawmakers have criticized the administration’s response to the virus outbreak, particularly the appointment of Vice President Pence as head of the task force. 

All three branches of government this week signed off on an $8.3 billion emergency coronavirus aid package in response to the proliferating disease.

Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will be on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” to discuss the events of the week. 

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who has been skeptical of the recently signed Taliban peace deal, will be on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” 

The Sunday talk show lineup is as follows: 

ABC’s “This Week” — Sanders, Carson

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Sanders, Fauci, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R)

CBS’s “Face the Nation” — Adams, Murphy, Inslee

CNN’s “State of the Union” — Sanders, Adams

Fox’s “Fox News Sunday” — Sanders, Fauci, Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.)

Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” — Collins, McCarthy, Carson, Cuomo