As federal workers remain in limbo amid the government shutdown, President Trump is traveling to Asia in an effort to unpack key foreign policy topics at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summits.
Trump is also set to meet with high-ranking counterparts during stops in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. Among the planned meetings include a confab with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
South Korea is still awaiting a firm trade agreement with the White House to help solidify taxes on imports and exports. Trade discussions are expected to trickle down to Americans as they battle an increase in grocery prices, the cost of gas and products like toys ahead of the holiday season.
Earlier this week, Sanae Takaichi was elected to serve as Japan’s first female prime minister. She will take the lead in implementing Tokyo’s $550 billion investment in U.S. projects over four years in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, energy, shipbuilding, computer chips and metals.
The president has signaled an initial approval of Takaichi, who’s known as a conservative leader and protégé of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Earlier this month, Trump called her “a highly respected person of great wisdom and strength.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is joining Trump on the trip, has been at the helm of trade talks and will remain at the forefront of discussions during the Asia tour. He will likely preview his objective for the meetings during appearances on CBS’s “Face The Nation,” NBC’s “Meet the Press” and ABC’s “This Week.”
Meanwhile, tensions are simmering between the U.S. and Venezuela amid the military’s recent counternarcotic strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea and elsewhere.
Dozens of people have been killed after the Trump administration claimed they were attempting to transport drugs. Venezuelan officials launched their own independent investigations of those targeted and said allegations of their involvement in drug trafficking were false.
“I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war,” Trump told reporters on Thursday, referring to strikes on Venezuelan citizens. “I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. OK? We’re going to kill them.”
Some members of Congress have referred to the overseas strikes as an act of war initiated without input from lawmakers.
“The president has turned the volume up to 11 and said, ‘No, we’re going to stop drugs coming into our country that are killing folks,’” Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said on Thursday.
“Those are entirely appropriate to do. What we’re missing is the communication, the coordination, and the ability to be able to say, let’s talk out loud about this. We’re not his opponent on this. We’re an ally in this to be able to solve it, but we need to be able to have a voice on it as a co-equal branch,” he added.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has also spoken out against the strikes on Venezuelan vessels. He will likely address the strikes again during an appearance on Fox News’s “Fox News Sunday.”
Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), a member of the House Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee on Defense, may also hit on the topic during an appearance on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday.”
Elsewhere, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is expected to rail against Republicans as the government shutdown and its impacts persist during an interview on CBS News’s “Face The Nation.”
One shutdown effect has been flight safety and delays, as air traffic controllers are forced to work without pay. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will likely address these developments during an appearance on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”
These topics and more will be discussed on this week’s Sunday morning news shows. Please see the full list of planned guest appearances below:
NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday”: Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), Cato Institute vice president Scott Lincicome
CBS News’s “Face The Nation“: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.)
NBC “Meet the Press“: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.)
ABC’s “This Week“: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), journalist and author Jonathan Karl
CNN’s “State of the Union“: Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)
Fox News’s “Fox News Sunday“: Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.)
Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures“: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Nobel Peace Prize recipient Marina Corina Machado of Venezuela, author Lee Smith
