WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's decision to halt Russia sanctions has opened a rift between the Republican Party and his own administration. As criticism mounted, Trump moved to contain the fallout, saying the step was meant to keep Moscow at the negotiating table.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, widely seen as a Trump loyalist, said on Fox News on Oct. 18 that concern had taken hold among members of the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees over the president's move. "We have to carefully consider the unintended consequences that could follow from that," Johnson said. The speaker has consistently sided with Trump through a series of earlier controversies.
Trump suspended the Lindsey Graham Russia and Iran Sanctions Act — named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close ally — just before it was due to take effect. The law would impose tariffs of up to 100% on all goods entering the United States from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas. Passed with bipartisan support in Congress, the measure was signed by Trump on Sept. 18 and was set to take effect 30 days later. Trump halted its implementation to hold down diesel prices ahead of the midterm elections.
Darlene Graham, the late senator's sister and a candidate for his South Carolina Senate seat in the midterm elections, said the previous day that she would "choose to keep the pressure on Russia to end the war and bring down gasoline prices." Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who has fallen out with Trump, called the move "beyond irresponsible," while Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said the late senator "would have been appalled." Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called it "a mistake."
Administration officials, by contrast, defended the decision. Secretary of State Marco Rubio played down its significance, telling reporters on Oct. 17 that the president wanted to spend 60 days analyzing what sanctions and tariffs would mean for the global and U.S. economies. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told ABC on Oct. 18 that the waiver was not an "economic lifeline" for Russia but "a carrot" offered to end the war.
As the controversy continued, Trump wrote on Truth Social that his decision on Russia was "very simple." He said he was in the middle of peace negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine war and did not want to do anything foolish that would drive Russia away from the negotiating table. Trump added that major progress had been made, including on a hostage deal now under discussion, and that he could sign the document later or whenever he chose.
Trump also said that perhaps more important was that Russia was doing almost nothing, if anything at all, of what it could do to help Iran. He said he wanted to keep things that way and would do so unless foolish people got in the way. His argument is that with talks with Moscow turning positive and Russia withholding support from Iran, there is no reason to provoke the Kremlin through sanctions.
Trump took a sharper tone toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said Zelenskyy did not care at all about high oil prices and that the Ukrainian leader did not want the war to end and probably never had.