A growing number of Republicans are raising concerns about President Donald Trump’s decision to waive sweeping new sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia, with House Speaker Mike Johnson saying he warned the White House about potential “unintended consequences.” Trump signed an executive order Friday waiving key measures under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, legislation he signed into law in September that was designed to increase economic pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine. He said he had certified to Congress that issuing the waiver was “in the national interests of the United States.” The Graham Act provides for a 500 percent tariff on Russian goods and potential 100 percent tariffs on goods from certain major purchasers of Russian oil and gas.
The new measures were due to begin taking effect on October 18, 30 days after Trump signed the law. Trump’s order implemented the provisions but simultaneously waived the new duties before they took effect. The waivers remain in place until Trump or the secretary of state, in consultation with other administration officials, determines that further action is appropriate.
The executive order does not affect Russia-related sanctions imposed under earlier executive orders. The move has put the president at odds with Republicans who supported tougher measures against Russia, although their criticism has ranged from direct condemnation to more measured disagreement. Trump has defended the waiver as part of his effort to negotiate an end to the war while his administration also seeks to bring down elevated diesel and gasoline prices ahead of the November midterm elections.
Writing on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said he is “in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.” The waiver follows Trump’s separate agreement with Russia aimed at increasing diesel supplies to global markets in an effort to lower fuel costs. Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended that approach Sunday, calling the diesel arrangement a “carrot” for Moscow, while saying on CNN’s State of the Union that Trump had not ended the Graham sanctions but had “just suspended the enforcement of them for now.” The criticism comes as Moscow has welcomed Trump’s decision while Ukraine has argued that easing pressure will encourage further Russian attacks. After a Russian drone attack in the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X Monday: “This is how Russia responds to sanctions waivers and reduced pressure.” Russian investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, meanwhile, wrote on X that the suspension of some Graham Act provisions marked an “important and truly historic moment.” Here, Newsweek lists the Republicans who have opposed Trump’s waiver or publicly raised concerns about it.
Johnson said Sunday that he had told White House officials that the administration should carefully consider the possible consequences of waiving the sanctions. Johnson said he had spoken with several colleagues who had concerns about the waiver and had relayed those concerns to the White House. But Johnson stopped short of directly opposing the president, saying Trump was evaluating the issue and balancing national security against his goal of bringing down Americans’ cost of living.
Mike Rogers, the Republican Senate candidate in Michigan, said he disagreed with Trump’s decision to pause the sanctions. If the president has a better idea to get diesel prices down, I’d be for it. I’m just a little skeptical that this will work in the way that the administration wants it to work.” “I don’t think we can give Putin an inch,” he added.
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