Sunday shows preview: Trump, Haley battle on for New Hampshire

The upcoming New Hampshire primary will likely be the focus of this week’s Sunday shows, as former President Trump and GOP rival Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor, battle it out in The Granite State.

After the bitterly cold Iowa caucuses were easily won by Trump earlier this week, Haley has spent the weekend attempting to sway voters with a last-chance effort in the second contest of the 2024 election cycle.

Haley, who has a series of events across the state scheduled ahead of the Jan. 23 primary, will make an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation” this Sunday, where she will likely speak about her efforts to edge out the former president in the state.

Thanks to several strong debate performances and earning a key endorsement from Gov. Chris Sununu (R), Haley has seen a steady increase in support from voters in New Hampshire, with just days left before the first-in-the-nation primary. According to polling averages from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, Trump currently sits at 46.7 percent support, while Haley is closing in with 35.4 percent.

Sununu, who endorsed Haley in December and has said he is “all in” for the former governor, will make an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He recently criticized Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who dropped out of the race last month, for his endorsement of Trump, saying he “wouldn’t have a job” if it weren’t for Haley.

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Haley ally who called Scott’s endorsement of Trump “concerning,” will join ABC’s “This Week.” Hogan, once the co-leader for the nonprofit No Labels, said Friday that he still sees a “crack in the door” for his own potential bid.

GOP hopeful Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made the unexpected choice of not spending the weekend in the northeast, instead opting for face time with voters in Haley’s home state of South Carolina.

After coming in a distant second place behind Trump in Iowa after intense campaigning in the Hawkeye State, the Florida governor has set his eyes on the South as his chances dwindle in New Hampshire.

DeSantis was set to appear on both CNN’s “State of the Union” and NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, but his campaign canceled.

CNN posted online that the interview was canceled and they “look forward to having the Governor join us on the show in the near future.”

NBC’s Kristen Welker posted online that DeSantis pulled out of the interview due to a “last-minute schedule change.”

“Per his campaign, he will now hold an event in New Hampshire tomorrow evening,” Welker posted. “He is currently campaigning in South Carolina.”

DeSantis’s press secretary issued a similar statement.

“The media hits were canceled due to a scheduling issue and will be rescheduled. The governor will be traveling Sunday morning with the campaign and has public events scheduled Sunday evening through Tuesday in NH,” Bryan Griffin wrote on X.

He currently sits in third place in New Hampshire with 5.9 percent but is polling slightly better in the Palmetto State with 9.4 percent.

Trump has spent the weekend wooing voters in New Hampshire. Scott formally endorsed him Friday evening at an event in Concord, N.H., where he said the former president earned his backing because “we need a president who will unite our country.”

Trump will be joined Sunday on the trail by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). Trump-ally Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio.) will join “Fox News Sunday,” where he will likely speak about the former president’s efforts in the state and recent success in Iowa.

Here’s the complete lineup for the Sunday news shows:

CBS’s “Face the Nation” — GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R).

ABC’s “This Week” — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), Biden campaign aide Quentin Fulks, White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer.

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Haley surrogate and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.).

“Fox News Sunday” — Trump campaign surrogate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Haley campaign surrogate Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and DeSantis surrogate Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).

Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” – Reps. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Mark Green (R-Tenn.); Poland President Andrzej Duda; Trafalgar Group Strategist Robert Cahaly.

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