Sunday shows preview: Israel-Hamas war nears one-year; Trump, Harris brace for final stretch

Tensions in the Middle East have heightened as the Israel-Hamas war hits its one-year mark and fears surrounding a wider regional conflict grow, and former President Trump and Vice President Harris are neck-and-neck as they continue to campaign with only 31 days until the 2024 presidential election. Both topics are likely to be discussed in this week’s Sunday shows.

Former First Lady Melania Trump is set to appear on Fox’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” The former first lady made headlines last week after releasing a video expressing support for abortion rights, which is in sharp contrast to beliefs held by many of her husband’s supporters in the Republican party. The former first lady reportedly advocates for abortion rights in her memoir “Melania,” which is set to come out this week.

Amb. John Bolton, a former national security adviser and ex-U.S. ambassador to the U.N., will appear on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday,” where he will discuss the unrest in the Middle East on the eve of one year since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel. In the last week, tensions between Iran and Israel have intensified following the death of a Hezbollah leader in Lebanon late last month, causing Iran to launch missiles toward Israel and Israel to begin limited ground incursions.

Both ABC’s “This Week” and Fox’s “Fox News Sunday” will host House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who has been in the news recently for comments he made about firing the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Pennsylvania that some GOP members of congress claimed was political in nature.

Zelensky’s visit was described by the Pennsylvania governor’s office as him making “a special trip to the Keystone State to visit the Pennsylvania workers who are playing a vital role in Ukraine’s defense.”

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is also set to appear on Fox’s “Fox News Sunday,” where he will likely discuss the upcoming election. Fetterman, who has endorsed Harris, had said last month that he thinks former President Trump has a “special” place among Pennsylvania voters and it only deepened after a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in the state in July.

Pennsylvania is a competitive state for the two presidential nominees, with Harris narrowly leading Trump by less than one percentage point, according to polling from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ.

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who was previously considered a potential running mate for Harris, is set to appear on CNN’s “State of the Union” where he will likely talk about the Harris campaign and Election Day.

Republican National Committee (RNC) co-chair Lara Trump is also expected to appear on CNN’s “State of the Union” where she will likely discuss the upcoming election and her father-in-law’s campaign.

Here is the full list of appearances on this week’s Sunday talk shows:

NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday”: Former national security adviser and United Nations ambassador John Bolton; Wisconsin GOP Senate candidate Eric Hovde; Harris campaign surrogate Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.); Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute

FOX’s “Fox News Sunday”: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.); Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa); Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.). 

ABC’s “This Week”: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.); Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell

CNN’s “State of the Union”: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.); Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump; Maryland Senate candidate and former Gov. Larry Hogan (R); Jonathan Greenblatt, director of the Anti-Defamation League

CBS’s “Face the Nation”: Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.); Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio); Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.); Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s executive director

MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki”: Former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn

MSNBC’s “PoliticsNation”: Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.)

NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.); Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)

Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures”: Former first lady Melania Trump; HRH Reza Pahlavi, exiled Iranian prince; Tulsi Gabbard (D), former Hawaii member of Congress, Trump transition team