From Shulkin to Christie: the best of this week's Sunday shows
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After a week punctuated by Trump administration exits and tensions with Russia and North Korea, lawmakers and politicos took to the Sunday shows to make sense of it all.
One key quote: When asked by CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union" whether he was fired or resigned from his post heading the Department of Veterans Affairs, David Shulkin simply replied, "I did not resign."
Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor who once led Trump's transition team, told ABC's "This Week" that the president is now filling cabinet and West Wing roles with people whose views and personalities align with his own. Christie said 35 eight-inch binders of vetted individuals were thrown out when he was replaced by Vice President Mike Pence as the head of the transition team.
- Speaking of administration exits, Christie also said that he believes it'll be hard for EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to keep his job after reports that Pruitt rented a Washington condo for $50 per night from an energy lobbyist.
Sen. Lindsay Graham said he's unsure why Trump won't stand up to Putin directly when asked about the president's congratulations on Putin's election victory. The White House expelled 60 Russian diplomats from the country this week as tensions escalate between the U.S. and Russia over the nerve agent attack against an ex-spy in the U.K.
And Rep. Trey Gowdy, who chaired the House Select Committee on Benghazi, asked about the House and Senate Russia probes on CBS' Face the Nation said, "Congress has proven itself incapable of conducting serious investigations ... I'm glad we have Bob Mueller."
