Sunday shows preview: Trump travels to Texas for RNC midterm convention; Administration downplays Iran war consequences

President Trump will head to the GOP’s convention in Dallas next week — an event aimed at galvanizing Republican voters to get out the vote ahead of the midterm elections this November.

The president will headline the two-day convention, and Vice President JD Vance is also expected to address attendees.

Ahead of the inaugural event, Trump-affiliated super PAC MAGA Inc. gave $10 million to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s (R) campaign — placating some Republicans calls for the president to invest in GOP candidates locked in toss-up races with Democratic challengers.

Trump said yesterday the PAC has $1 billion at its disposal, though reports from June estimated its finances at around $400 million . He added that MAGA Inc. plans to spend between $400 and $500 million for November’s midterms, saving the rest for the 2028 election cycle.

The convention comes amid rising frustration among voters with the president’s handling of the economy and the Iran war.

The Trump administration has attempted to calm concerns about the monthslong conflict, with Vice President Vance telling reporters this week he “wouldn’t call it a war.”

House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) will join CBS News’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday, likely set to discuss how Republicans are approaching the November elections.

In a bid to bring down rising U.S. fuel costs tied to global energy shortages during the Iran war, last week the president announced a new deal with Venezuela to gain “majority U.S. control” of a large portion of the country’s massive oil reserves.

Trump’s economic approval rating has taken a hit , as gas prices have hit record highs . This new agreement gives the U.S. a 55 percent “effective output” in 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s proven reserves, but experts told The Hill it could be a while before this move impacts U.S. gas prices.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who has championed this new deal, will appear on several Sunday shows, including “Face the Nation,” CNN’s “State of the Union,” Fox News’s “Fox News Sunday” and ABC News’s “This Week.”

Additionally, the president signed several executive orders this week aimed at bringing down beef costs for American consumers, including a controversial directive to lower high tariffs on imported beef products from countries like Brazil and Argentina.

Ranchers, farmers and some Republican lawmakers have balked at the move, saying it would negatively impact the sale of domestic beef, since these imported goods would be sold at 25 percent under market price.

The U.S. will pause “out-of-quota” tariffs on up to 300,000 metric tons of beef for a 90 – day period in an effort to bring down costs and allow the U.S. cattle population to regrow.

The president sought to address these concerns by adding a new requirement for foreign beef to be labeled with its country-of-origin and allowing American ranchers to process their own meat. The Friday order also asked the Interior Department to consider stripping the grey wolf , a livestock predator, of its endangered species protections.

A day later, U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an attempt to reopen peace negotiations and end its yearslong war with Ukraine. The pair will then travel to Kyiv to talk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday.

Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will join Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” this weekend . .

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll’s announced resignation on Monday marked the latest departure from the Pentagon under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth, who has faced mounting scrutiny for his attempts to impose his will on the service branch, is reportedly considering Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell to replace Driscoll, sources told The Hill.

Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), a member of the House Committee on Armed Services, called this week for Trump to fire Hegseth. The Democrat will join The Hill’s “The Hill Sunday” this weekend.

The Pentagon’s leadership has also come under fire for its attempts to reshape the Stars and Stripes.

Three of the military outlet’s staffers sued the department last week after they were fired amid Pentagon leadership’s effort to crack down on “woke” coverage. On Friday, a federal judge on Friday denied their request to stop these terminations.

Former Stars and Stripes publisher, Max Lederer, told MS NOW on Saturday morning that he and the two other fired staffers will continue their lawsuit against the department, noting the emergency injunction was only the “first step in the process.”

In another legal battle, Missouri asked the Supreme Court late Friday to restore a congressional map that favors Republicans after a lower court ruled earlier in the week it could not be used in the midterm elections.

In Maryland, the state’s highest court ruled in favor of keeping a Democrat-drawn redistricting referendum on the ballot. If approved, this measure would grant the state’s General Assembly the authority to give the Maryland Supreme Court “original jurisdiction” over congressional redistricting plans, which would likely make it easier for Democrats to win seats.

Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin (D) will join NBC News’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

See the full list of guests on the Sunday morning news shows below:

NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday”: Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas)

CBS News’s “Face the Nation”: Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D), House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.)

CNN’s “State of the Union”: Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Texas gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa (D)

Fox News’s “Fox News Sunday”: Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Andy McCarthy

NBC News’s “Meet the Press”: Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.)

Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures”: Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Minnesota U.S. Senate candidate Michele Tafoya (R), Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas)

ABC’s “This Week”: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), Energy Secretary Chris Wright, former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall III