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Oct 18, 2026· Updated

Trump Waives Graham Act Russia Sanctions

Late on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order invoking the national-interest waiver in Section 115 of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act — the bipartisan law he signed last month, named for the South Carolina senator who died in July — and suspended its new penalties two days before they were due to take effect on Oct. 18. The order waives the law's 100% tariffs on the largest buyers of Russian crude and natural gas, including China, India and Turkey, along with its 500% tariffs on Russian goods and other mandatory sanctions, and leaves them suspended until administration officials "determine that further action is appropriate." Existing sanctions on Russia under earlier executive orders stay in place. The waiver came a week after Treasury lifted sanctions on Russian diesel as part of a deal Trump struck with Vladimir Putin to bring down fuel prices driven up by the Iran war, and a day after Trump told Newsmax he finds Volodymyr Zelensky "more difficult to deal with than Putin" over Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries. Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the suspension "an important and truly historic moment." Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, Rep. Don Bacon and Democrats including the law's co-author, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, condemned it.

“[On NBC's "Meet the Press," asked why the president is "rewarding a dictator who invaded Ukraine":] President Trump has made it clear he wants the killing to stop. … The so-called Graham bill gives the president the flexibility, gives him 60 days to assess the situation. … No sanctions were lifted on Friday. No sanctions were lifted.”
Scott Bessent (R-SC) · Oct 18, 2026

Oct 18, 2026· Updated

Starshield Limits in Ukraine Draw GOP, Dem Fire

Overnight on Oct. 13-14, 2026, Ukrainian forces reported that Starlink terminals in motion had been speed-limited without warning, disrupting battlefield communications and, Ukrainian officials said, air defense, as Russian missile and drone strikes knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people in Kyiv and Kharkiv despite President Trump's claim of an energy ceasefire. Elon Musk said Starlink is a commercial service owned by SpaceX but that Starshield, the military version used in Ukraine, is owned and controlled by the U.S. government: "Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS." Volodymyr Zelensky called the restrictions "a big mistake" and warned "People will die," and Ukraine said it would resume strikes on Russian energy sites. An unnamed senior U.S. official told Axios the White House had no role; neither the White House nor the Pentagon commented on the record, and some service was restored early Oct. 15. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis first asked Musk to confirm the disruption was unintended, then — after reporting pointed to the Pentagon's own Starshield systems — said he would ask the Defense Department inspector general to investigate. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on Foreign Relations, said the restrictions "must stop immediately," Rep. Don Bacon said the administration's moves on intelligence sharing and Starlink amount to "aiding the invader," and the bipartisan co-chairs of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus called the restrictions "unconscionable."

“[On NBC's "Meet the Press," asked whether he can "definitively say no one in the Trump administration ordered restrictions":] President Trump and Secretary Rubio have categorically said that no one in the Trump administration did that. … And I think it is very reckless for President Zelenskyy to make such a charge.”
Scott Bessent (R-SC) · Oct 18, 2026

Oct 18, 2026· Updated

Trump-Putin Russian Diesel Deal and Treasury Sanctions Waiver: Reactions

On Oct. 9, 2026, with diesel near record prices four weeks before the midterms, President Trump announced on Truth Social that after a conversation with Vladimir Putin, Russia would release more than 300,000 tons of diesel onto the world market immediately, 500,000 tons in November, a million tons "immediately thereafter," and another 3 million tons "within a short period of time." The same day, Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a temporary general license authorizing the sale, delivery and importation of Russian-origin diesel, including into the United States, through April 7, 2027. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Moscow would begin lifting the diesel export ban it had imposed in July. The move came less than a month after Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, most of whose provisions take effect Oct. 18. It also came hours after Volodymyr Zelensky hosted a U.S. Senate delegation in Kyiv, and as envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Ukrainian officials in Miami. Zelensky said easing sanctions without a lasting de-escalation agreement was "an obvious weakness" that would prolong the war. On Sunday, Oct. 11, Trump posted on Truth Social that "Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed." He gave no terms, Moscow did not confirm it, and Zelensky called it "news for me" before saying Ukraine would stop striking Russian refineries if Russia stopped hitting its grid. Hours later, Zelensky said, Russia struck Kharkiv's second-largest power plant. On the Sunday shows, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said there was "a legitimate case for saying the president's not following the law" on the sanctions he signed, while Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer defended the diesel waiver. Also on Sunday, Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis and John Curtis and Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Richard Blumenthal issued a joint statement saying the waiver "runs directly counter to" the 2022 ban on Russian energy imports and that "the Administration must immediately reverse course." Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) said he would introduce bipartisan legislation "to block any and all purchases of Russian oil" and try to force a House vote with a discharge petition, which Rep. Don Bacon said he would sign. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on "Fox News Sunday," said the deal "is good for the American people" and called European critics hypocritical.

“[On ABC's "This Week," asked how giving Russia "an economic lifeline" is anything but a reward:] So it's not an economic lifeline. … This is a carrot to try to end a war. It's not an economic lifeline for Russia. … We are removing sanctions on a product that Russia currently does not and cannot export. … [Asked why give Russia a carrot now:] Because four-and-a-half years into this war, a million-and-a-half casualties haven't brought an end to the war.”
Chris Wright (R-CO) · Oct 18, 2026

Oct 17, 2026· Updated

Feds Search Ilhan Omar's Home Before Midterms

Early on Monday, October 12, 2026, agents from Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C.-area home. The Justice Department said the "judicially authorized search warrant" it had secured was "part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation," without naming Omar; people familiar with the probe told Fox News and others it concerns immigration paperwork her late father filled out when she was a child. Omar has not been charged. The search came 22 days before the November 3 midterms, with early voting already under way in Minnesota, and despite longstanding Justice Department practice against overt investigative steps near an election. Border czar Tom Homan, who said in September that Omar was under criminal investigation, confirmed the warrant on Fox. Two days earlier, at a Tennessee rally, President Trump had said of Omar, "let's see what happens. JD Vance and our people are looking at it very strongly." Omar called the search "an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement." House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar called it "deeply disturbing," Gov. Tim Walz said Trump was "abusing his power to go after political opponents weeks before an election," and Sen. Tina Smith called it "a transparent attempt to interfere in our elections." Republican Reps. Tom Emmer and Nancy Mace answered that no one is above the law.

“[To Fox News Digital, five days after the search:] I would say, first, she should probably serve time in the gray bar motel and then get the hell out of here. … If it's determined that she lied to gain citizenship, then, absolutely, she should go back to the front of the line. … That judge had to determine that there was probable cause that a federal crime has been committed. … I mean, maybe after all these years, someone is finally going to hold Ilhan Omar accountable.”
Tom Emmer (R-MN) · Oct 17, 2026

Oct 17, 2026· Updated

Meeks, Shaheen Probe Ambassador Guilfoyle

On Sept. 25, 2026, the Wall Street Journal reported that Kimberly Guilfoyle, President Trump's ambassador to Greece, had told attendees at a March dinner in Athens with Greek and American officials that the United States could bring about political change in a country the way Romania's government had fallen — a remark her lawyer disputed — and that she had promoted natural gas projects involving the Greek construction and energy company Aktor Group across Southeast Europe while bringing Aktor's registered lobbyist, Christos Marafatsos, into meetings with foreign officials. Aktor's joint venture had signed a 20-year deal to buy American liquefied natural gas from Venture Global; the Journal also reported that Guilfoyle traveled on private jets, including one flight covered by Aktor's chief executive. On Oct. 1, the ranking Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), sent separate letters to Secretary of State Marco Rubio seeking a review. A U.S. Embassy official said Guilfoyle "continues to follow all State Department ethical guidelines" and that "any insinuation that she was operating outside of ethical guidelines are categorically false."

“[At a CBS News town hall in Michigan, asked about Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle's resignation and whether the administration profits from the presidency:] Yes, D.C. is a corrupt town. … If somebody's selling access to the White House, that's disgusting and despicable and they should suffer consequences. … I have not seen a single shred of evidence that he participates or sanctions in that corruption.”
JD Vance (R-OH) · Oct 17, 2026

Settlers Attack Washington Post Photographer Heidi Levine

On Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, an American, was attacked by masked Israeli settlers near the village of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah, while covering Palestinians harvesting olives. Wearing a helmet and a vest marked "PRESS," she was knocked to the ground, repeatedly kicked and robbed of her cameras and phone; she was hospitalized in Ramallah with injuries reported to include a nearly severed finger, a broken rib and fractured vertebrae. Palestinians were also injured in the clashes. The Post's executive editor, Matt Murray, said the paper was "outraged by this unwarranted attack." The U.S. Embassy said, "We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank and call for investigations, arrests, and convictions," and a State Department spokesperson said the department had offered consular assistance. Israeli police and the military opened investigations; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office condemned violence "against anyone" but said the facts "remain unclear," which critics said downplayed the attack. Democratic senators and House members, several noting that the Trump administration lifted the Biden-era sanctions on violent settlers, demanded accountability.

“[On X:] Today, another American citizen and journalist was brutalized by Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank. This repeated violence and brazen impunity for attacks against Americans and Palestinians alike are unacceptable. When will Trump and Rubio DO SOMETHING?”
Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) · Oct 16, 2026

Powder Letters Hit Election, Senate Offices

In the week of Oct. 12, 2026, with early voting under way, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Capitol Police began investigating what the FBI called "a series of suspicious mailings" sent to "various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and their related election offices," some containing an unknown substance. Election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma received envelopes with white powder — Louisiana's tested negative for harmful substances and Oklahoma's election board was evacuated — and on Thursday, Oct. 15, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes's office at the State Capitol was evacuated after staff opened a letter filled with white powder. Ohio, Nebraska and Wisconsin reported mailings intercepted or isolated, and CNN counted election offices in at least eight states. Law-enforcement sources told ABC News that more than 100 such letters may be in the mail system. On Capitol Hill, the Senate Sergeant at Arms warned offices of "multiple letters containing suspicious substances." The offices of Sens. Alex Padilla, Chris Murphy, Chris Coons, Richard Blumenthal, Kirsten Gillibrand and Lisa Blunt Rochester confirmed letters, several intercepted before delivery. No injuries were reported, and investigators had not said who sent the letters or whether the election and congressional mailings were linked. The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors said those who administer elections "should never fear for their safety."

“[Statement, after a package containing a threatening letter and an unidentified white powder addressed to his office was intercepted:] Threats against election workers are unacceptable and should not be tolerated. Our office will not be deterred and will continue to support the thousands of election officials across the state … We are deeply grateful to the Minnesota Department of Administration and the United States Postal Service for their diligent work in tracking this mailing and intercepting it before it could disrupt the work of our office.”
Steve Simon (D-MN) · Oct 16, 2026

Bend, Oregon Silver Rail Elementary School Shooting: Officials React

Shortly before 1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, police say, a 16-year-old Bend resident fired at a passing driver and then forced his way into Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, by shooting through its locked doors. Three children — ages 5, 8 and 11 — and a teacher were killed, and a 7-year-old and a 54-year-old teacher were hospitalized in critical condition. A community member who saw the suspect enter followed him into the school and shot him dead. Police have not named the suspect or a motive; a law enforcement official told the AP the weapon was a pump-action shotgun bought by his mother. Gov. Tina Kotek ordered flags to half-staff and thanked the bystander. Rep. Janelle Bynum, whose district includes Bend, suspended her reelection campaign and flew home, and Sen. Ron Wyden and other Democrats called on Congress to pass gun laws, while Sen. Jeff Merkley's and Kotek's statements stopped short of that. FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau's Portland field office was assisting.

“[To reporters, the day after the shooting, on the armed bystander who stopped the shooter:] As bad as it was, we had a great hero that went in and did the business. … It's a terrible thing, but thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it.”
Donald Trump (R-FL) · Oct 16, 2026

Oct 16, 2026· Updated

Piker remarks split Democrats; El-Sayed apologizes

On August 20, 2026, the Twitch streamer Hasan Piker told his audience that "if Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone is going to come around and take action, not against the state of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews." Within a week at least thirteen elected Democrats — including the House Democratic leader, three sitting senators and the DNC chair — had condemned the remark. The condemnations landed hardest on Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Michigan's open Senate seat, who had campaigned with Piker after beating Rep. Haley Stevens in a primary in which AIPAC-aligned groups spent at record levels against him. Rep. Hillary Scholten, who had already broken with El-Sayed over the appearances, singled out Piker's naming of Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss — the Democratic nominee for Stevens's House seat, who is Jewish and openly gay — and called Piker "a hack who thrives on hate, shock and awe because he lacks substance." Moss answered that he would not "be lectured by a California podcaster." Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who is Jewish, said crimes against Jews for being Jews are "antisemitism plain and simple." Hakeem Jeffries called the claim dangerous and antisemitic. Rep. Josh Gottheimer went further and said anyone campaigning with Piker is "part of the problem." Sens. Cory Booker, Jacky Rosen and Jon Ossoff and Reps. Ritchie Torres, Jared Moskowitz, Brad Schneider, Greg Stanton, Jake Auchincloss and Haley Stevens also condemned the remarks. El-Sayed distanced himself from Piker without disavowing him, saying "nobody speaks for this campaign besides me and my campaign spokespeople." Then, on Saturday, August 29, at the Michigan Democratic Party's nominating convention in Lansing, he went to the state party's Jewish Democratic Caucus and apologized for something older: his response to the March 2026 attack on Temple Israel, a suburban Detroit synagogue, where a man crashed a vehicle into the building and opened fire, wounding a security guard before being killed. El-Sayed had condemned the attack but added "hurt people hurt people," noting the attacker had lost relatives in an Israeli airstrike days earlier. "I made a mistake," he told the caucus. "What I was trying to do was offer context for why it happened, but it wasn't the time for context." Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is Jewish and had criticized El-Sayed for making excuses for domestic terrorism, did not attend the convention, citing antisemitic harassment directed at her. Late on Oct. 7, less than four weeks before the election, Trump posted on Truth Social that "Mohammed El-Sayed is a terrible Candidate for the Dumocrats," that "Mohammed goes back to the days of the Jihad," and that he is "a RADICAL Extremist, Terrorist Sympathizer, and no different from his best friend, America Hating Hasan Piker." Arab American leaders in Michigan called the post racist. El-Sayed replied the next morning that "He knows my name is Abdul," and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called it "bigoted bullshit" from "a weak and desperate Donald Trump."

“[In a video posted to Truth Social, addressed to Michigan voters:] To the people of Michigan, Mohamed Al-Sayed is bad news. … He's a Muslim radical. He's a Muslim Brotherhood member, even though he denies it. … We cannot take a chance on having this guy be in the United States Senate. … Don't vote for Mohamed El-Sayed. He's not for us, and he hates our country.”
Donald Trump (R-FL) · Oct 16, 2026

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