President Trump waived new sanctions on Russia late Friday night, saying it was in the "national interests" to hold off on the sweeping levies under the Graham Act that he signed just last month.
Why it matters: Trump is easing American pressure on Russia despite a bipartisan chorus calling for him to do the exact opposite.
- It comes a week after his surprise deal to let Russia sell diesel internationally, which Republicans have condemned as loudly as Democrats.
- It also puts Republican candidates making their final midterm sprint in the position of having to defend the president's warmer relationship with a country voters overwhelmingly see as an American enemy.
Driving the news: The White House released the text of an executive order late Friday night detailing the implementation of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which Trump signed in September.
- The bill, named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, imposed broad new sanctions on Russia and countries that do business with it, including buyers of its oil.
- The order notes that the law allows the president to "waive the application of any sanctions provision with respect to a foreign person, any restriction with respect to a person, and any duty."
- "I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States," Trump said in the order.
What they're saying: Democrats quickly blasted the waiver.
- "Trump's latest surrender to Putin again betrays our Ukrainian partners and defies clear congressional intent of legislation designed to punish Russia for its illegal war of aggression," Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) posted on X.
- "These waivers have nothing to do with our national security, & everything to do with sucking up to Vladimir Putin. I hope my Republican colleagues will join me in condemning this craven, cowardly action," Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said on X.
The big picture: The waiver caps a historic week in recent U.S.-Russia relations, where Trump abruptly eased pressure on multiple fronts.
- Whether it was the diesel deal, or a fight over Ukraine's ability to use Starlink to defend itself against Russian munitions, or a public denial of Russian involvement in the Iran war, Trump has spent the last few days shifting America's position on an old foe.
The bottom line: The louder the bipartisan anti-Russia chorus gets, the more Trump doubles down on pulling back the pressure.