Mike Rogers Breaks With Trump Over Russia Sanctions Waiver as Lankford Defends It
Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers said on CNN Sunday that he would have voted for the Russia sanctions bill President Trump waived on Friday, while Sen. James Lankford defended the waiver on NBC as a bid to lower fuel prices.
WASHINGTON — Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers broke with President Donald Trump on Sunday over the president’s decision to waive sanctions on Russia, telling CNN he would have voted for the bipartisan sanctions bill the administration is now declining to enforce.
“I would have voted for the sanctions bill on Russia,” Rogers said on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Dana Bash. “I don’t think we can give Putin an inch. And we will see. If the strategy works, hey, good on him, because that means we’re going to pay less for diesel here in the United States.”
Rogers, a former congressman who has generally aligned with Trump, rejected the charge that the president is siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine. He said Trump is trying to lower energy costs while confronting Iran over its nuclear ambitions, adding: “I think that just adds complexity to the geopolitical stage.”
But Rogers said he was skeptical the waiver would deliver the cheaper fuel the administration is promising. “If the president has a better idea to get diesel prices down, I’d be for it,” he said. “I’m just a little skeptical that this will work in the way that the administration wants it to work.”
He said Michigan residents are “paying a pretty heavy price” for fuel, and that if elected he would push for a temporary ban on U.S. diesel exports and a rebate on agricultural diesel to ease the burden on consumers and farmers.
Lankford defends the waiver, splitting with fellow Oklahoma senator
Trump announced Friday that he was waiving sanctions, restrictions and duties under the Graham Act, a bipartisan measure named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham that was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate this summer and authorized tariffs of up to 100% on major importers of Russian petroleum products. The order said the waiver was “in the national interests of the United States.” The move followed a deal Trump struck with Russia last week allowing the country to sell diesel on the U.S. and global markets amid fuel shortages.
On NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma defended the decision, breaking with fellow Oklahoma Sen. Alan Armstrong, who joined a bipartisan group of senators condemning it. Lankford said Trump is balancing pressure on Russia with relief for Americans as fuel prices climb during what he described as the administration’s bombing campaign against Iran.
“He is choosing the American people first is what he’s doing,” Lankford said. “If anyone’s shocked that this president is focused on American voters first, they should have listened to him in the last several years.”
Armstrong, the corporate energy executive tapped by Gov. Kevin Stitt to fill the Senate seat vacated when Markwayne Mullin was appointed Homeland Security secretary, signed a letter with 11 other senators calling the waiver a “gift” that lets Putin finance the invasion of Ukraine. “For decades, America has stood as the bastion of freedom against tyranny,” the letter said. “Putin is a tyrant.”
Lankford countered that Trump is still sharing intelligence and supplying weapons to Ukraine. “Any belief that President Trump is aligning with President Putin is not true,” he said. “He’s trying to get both of them to the table, but he’s definitely providing continual support to Ukrainians.”
Retiring Republicans add to the criticism
The waiver has also drawn fire from retiring GOP lawmakers. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina called the decision “beyond irresponsible” and cited the Senate’s 86-11 vote for the legislation. In a post on X, he asked: “What part of enforcing a law passed 86-11 by the Senate does the President and his advisors not understand?” Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who lost his primary after Trump backed his opponent, wrote, “Lindsey would be appalled.” Retiring Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said the decision was “prolonging the war, not ending it.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he felt “betrayed” by the decision in an interview with Piers Morgan.
Reporting based on coverage by the New York Post and The Oklahoman.
