Sunday: Rubio, Lighthizer, Lagarde, Thune, Schiff
As he departed for Missouri Friday, President Trump used his customary visit with reporters on the White House lawn to make two personnel announcements.
To succeed Jeff Sessions, President Trump has tapped the "terrific" William Barr, who served as attorney general in the early 1990's to the late 41st president, George H.W. Bush. Praising Barr as "one of the most respected jurists in the country," President Trump expressed hope that the Senate will "very quickly" confirm Barr's return to the Justice Department.
But Democrats, citing Barr's past comments calling for more political "balance" among special counsel Robert Mueller's hires, fear Barr could weaken the Russia probe at the behest of a president infuriated by what he calls a "witch hunt." The Bush-era top cop has also provoked controversy for defending the president's calls to investigate Hillary Clinton.
To replace U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, President Trump will nominate State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert. Just 18 months ago, Nauert was an anchor on the president's favored broadcast "Fox & Friends." The president called Nauert "very talented, very smart, very quick," and now she will face a Senate confirmation hearing that will demand answers on the tangle of foreign policy challenges facing the United States, from inaction over Saudi Arabia to a looming trade war with China.
Senate Democrats and Republicans alike have railed against the Trump administration's mild response to Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder, demanding the U.S. withdraw support for the brutal Saudi-led war in Yemen. The humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen continues to deteriorate, as the Saudis continue their onslaught using American-made weapons, despite the U.N.'s peace talks in Sweden this week.
And despite the temporary trade ceasefire between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, public uncertainty about the deal they struck sent markets plummeting this week. And the arrest of a top Chinese telecom executive, on charges of circumventing U.S. sanctions on Iran, now threatens to undo an already shaky truce.
For the latest on the week ahead, don't miss "Face the Nation" (@FaceTheNation) this Sunday with moderator Margaret Brennan (@margbrennan).
We'll hear from a key voice on the Senate's foreign relations and intelligence committees, Sen. Marco Rubio (@marcorubio), R-Fla.
Amb. Robert Lighthizer (@USTradeRep), U.S. Trade Representative, will join us.
We'll talk to Christine Lagarde (@Lagarde), managing director of the International Monetary Fund.
The next Senate Majority Whip Sen. John Thune (@SenJohnThune), R-S.D., will talk with us.
We'll question Rep. Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff), R-Calif., the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
And from Yemen, CBS News Senior Foreign Correspondent Elizabeth Palmer (@elizapalmer) will file a report from the war-ravaged nation.
On television, the radio, and streaming online, don't miss America's premier public affairs program this weekend. Click here for your local listings.
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