Trump Waives New Russia Tariffs and Sanctions, Drawing Fire From Republicans
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday that implements a new Russia sanctions law but waives its most punishing provisions, including tariffs of up to 500% on Russian goods, setting off a bipartisan backlash that continued into this week.
The order, issued Oct. 16, carries out the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, according to a summary by the accounting firm KPMG. The law, named for the late South Carolina senator and signed by Trump in September, called for a 500% tariff on goods from Russia and 100% tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil or natural gas or help Moscow evade sanctions. Those penalties were due to take effect Oct. 18. Trump’s order waives them, along with other sanctions in the act, until the president or the secretary of state decides further action is appropriate.
The bill passed the Senate 86-11, according to WGHP, and included a provision allowing the president to suspend the sanctions if doing so served U.S. national interests.
The Administration’s Case
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters over the weekend that the waiver gives the administration time to weigh the consequences. “The problem is that these sanctions were not just sanctions on Russia. They include tariffs on a number of countries — India, for example, and others,” Rubio said, according to CNN. He said the president wants to use a 60-day period to analyze what the measures “will mean to the global economy and even to the US economy.”
In a Truth Social post Sunday, Trump said his decision stemmed from concerns about driving Russia away from peace negotiations and his displeasure with Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, Politico reported.
Republican Criticism
Several Republicans broke with the president. Outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis called the move “beyond irresponsible” and accused Trump of “capitulating to a Russian dictator,” CNN reported. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas wrote on X that “Lindsey would be appalled,” and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas called the waiver “a mistake” on Fox News, according to Politico. Sen. Darline Graham of South Carolina, who is filling her late brother’s seat, said she would “keep the pressure on Russia to end the war.”
Other Republicans were more measured. Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina said he trusts the president, WGHP reported. Democrats also denounced the decision, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that it strengthens Russian President Vladimir Putin’s hand. Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, praised the order as “an important and truly historic moment.”
Prices and Politics
The waiver comes as energy costs weigh on voters. Brent crude, the global benchmark, was trading near five-month highs around $110 a barrel on Monday, CNN reported. Politico noted that by issuing a revocable waiver, the administration avoids imposing new tariffs two weeks before Election Day while keeping the option to use them later as leverage in trade talks with India and China.
“This is certainly not the closing argument the GOP wanted weeks before the midterms,” said Ed Mills, a Washington policy analyst at Raymond James, in comments to CNN.
