While the U.S. government shutdown leaves federal employees uncertain about their futures, President Trump is embarking on a significant diplomatic journey to Asia. His itinerary includes attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summits, where he aims to address crucial foreign policy matters.

In addition to these summits, President Trump will engage in high-level discussions during his visits to Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea. A notable event on his agenda is a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which is expected to hold considerable geopolitical significance.

The prospect of a concrete trade agreement between South Korea and the White House hangs in the balance, with potential implications for tariffs on imports and exports. Such trade negotiations carry weight for American consumers, who are already contending with rising grocery bills, fuel costs, and the price of holiday season goods like toys.

Meanwhile, Japan has recently made a historic political shift with the election of Sanae Takaichi as the nation’s first female prime minister. Takaichi is set to spearhead Tokyo’s ambitious $550 billion investment in U.S. sectors over the next four years, focusing on industries such as pharmaceuticals, energy, shipbuilding, computer chips, and metals.

President Trump has expressed tentative approval of Takaichi, praising her as a “highly respected person of great wisdom and strength.” Her leadership is seen as a continuation of the conservative policies championed by her mentor, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

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