Sunday: Lankford, Coons, Ryan, Salvanto
Following a government-wide manhunt this week, President Trump on Friday commended law enforcement for "so quickly" apprehending the alleged culprit behind a wave of letter bombs targeting some of his most prominent critics.
Law enforcement has arrested Cesar Sayoc, 56, for mailing at least 13 explosives to prominent Democrats, from former President Obama to billionaire George Soros. A registered Republican, Sayoc for years plastered his social media accounts and vehicle with fierce praise for President Trump, denigrating the left and journalists along the way.
At a MAGA rally in Wisconsin on Wednesday, the president quickly moved from calls for unity to delivering harsh words to Democrats and the "fake news media." And some of President Trump's supporters even speculated that the bombs were a "false flag" plot by Democrats to influence the elections.
As he departed the White House late Friday, President Trump dismissed any suggestion his actions incited Sayoc's plot: "I did not see my face on the van. I don't know, I heard he was a person that preferred me over others, but I did not see that," the president said of Sayoc. "There's no blame, there's not anything."
Healing the country's divisions appears unlikely this week as the midterm elections enter their home stretch. President Trump has a busy schedule next week, planning at least 10 rallies to boost toss-up races across the nation. And both Democrats and Republicans are spending millions in heated battles to control key congressional and gubernatorial seats.
And also this week, the mystery of journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death deepened as the Saudi government now acknowledges his killing was "premeditated."
The Saudi government says it will arrest and punish the "rogue" officials who tortured and murdered Khashoggi. But the international community has reacted skeptically to the Kingdom's probe and Turkey has ramped up pressure on Saudi Arabia to extradite suspects in the slaying.
For the latest news and analysis on the week that was, this Sunday don't miss "Face the Nation" (@FaceTheNation) moderated by Margaret Brennan (@margbrennan), guest moderated this week by John Dickerson (@jdickerson).
We'll talk to Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford), R-Oklahoma.
Sen. Chris Coons (@ChrisCoons), D-Delaware, will also join us.
Last week, John Dickerson sat down with House Speaker Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan), R-Wisconsin, on the campaign trail with Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik), R-New York. We'll air more of their discussion.
Anthony Salvanto (@SalvantoCBS), CBS News Director of Elections & Surveys, will join us with new Battleground Tracker polling out of Senate races in Florida, Arizona and Indiana.
And as always, we'll turn to our panel for some perspective on the week's events:
- Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) of The Atlantic
- Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) of Slate and CBS News
- Lanhee Chen (@lanheechen) of the Hoover Institution
- Susan Page (@SusanPage) of USA Today
Don't miss America's premier public affairs program this Sunday! Click here to check your local listings.
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