President Trump's late-Friday executive order freezing new Russia sanctions has reignited bipartisan anger over the administration's increasingly lenient posture toward Moscow, just weeks before the November elections. The order suspends penalties that were slated to take effect under a comprehensive sanctions package the president signed into law last month.
The move follows Trump's controversial decision last week to temporarily permit Russian diesel imports into the U.S. and global markets, a step aimed at alleviating fuel shortages but one that critics say undermines Western unity against the Kremlin. The administration is under mounting pressure to address soaring energy costs as the Iran and Ukraine conflicts continue to disrupt supply chains.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright is scheduled to appear on CNN's "State of the Union" and ABC's "This Week" on Sunday to defend the administration's actions. However, the backlash is not confined to Democrats. In Michigan's tight Senate race, Republican nominee Mike Rogers publicly disagreed with the diesel import decision, telling reporters, "No, not in importing it from Russia. I've actually called for a temporary export ban just to try to give some relief while farmers are out harvesting." Rogers is set to join "State of the Union" as well.
The controversy comes as both parties intensify their ground games in battleground states. Former President Barack Obama will campaign in Ohio and Michigan next week for Democratic candidates, including Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed, who called it an "honor" to have Obama's backing. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who donated $1 million to El-Sayed's campaign, stumped for him in Michigan this week and will appear with Maine Senate nominee Troy Jackson at a town hall Thursday. Jackson is also booked for "State of the Union."
Trump, meanwhile, is planning a seven-state swing next week, hitting Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa, Florida, Georgia, and Michigan. House Speaker Mike Johnson faces an uphill battle as forecasters give Democrats a 77 percent chance of retaking the House, according to Decision Desk HQ. The Cook Political Report shifted 18 House races toward Democrats last week. Johnson will appear on Fox News's "Sunday Morning Futures," while Cook's Amy Walter joins "This Week."
Adding to the pre-election tension, several lawmakers and election officials reported receiving suspicious packages this week, including envelopes with unidentified white powder. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said law enforcement intercepted a suspicious mailing before it reached his office. "Those who pulled this stunt should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," he wrote on social media. "If this was an attempt to intimidate or cause me to no longer use the mail as a way to stay connected with Oklahomans, it has definitely failed." Lankford is set to appear on NBC's "Meet the Press."
The administration also faced internal turmoil this week. Newly appointed White House press secretary Katie Zacharia announced the departure of U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle during her first briefing on Tuesday, only to resign herself three days later amid questions about her legal credentials—she had not passed the bar exam despite identifying as a lawyer. Trump told Fox News's Peter Doocy he was in no hurry to fill the vacancy. Additionally, former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Friday she was stepping down as special envoy to the "Shield of the Americas" coalition, calling it "always a six-month appointment" while remaining a senior adviser at the State Department.
The sanctions waiver has also drawn sharp criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who slams the move as Russia intensifies energy attacks. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of handing Putin a birthday lifeline. The controversy is likely to dominate the final stretch of the campaign, with Trump and Zelensky clashing over Starlink and the diesel deal as the Ukraine crisis deepens.
Sunday's talk shows will feature a host of key figures: on NewsNation's "The Hill Sunday," Mississippi Senate candidate Scott Colom (D); on CBS's "Face the Nation," Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), Florida Senate candidate Angie Nixon (D), Iowa gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand (D), and Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.); on Fox News Sunday, Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Dave McCormick (R-Pa.); and on "Meet the Press," Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and James Lankford. The weekend shows are set to be a battleground of competing narratives as the midterms approach.
