Trump tests GOP resolve on Russia, Ukraine

Republicans are growing increasingly frustrated over President Trump ’s recent moves that have advantaged Russia on the battlefield at the cost of the U.S.’s ally Ukraine, but whether they can force the issue in Congress remains to be seen.

The president’s executive order signed Friday to waive sanctions against Russia, just days before they took effect, quickly fueled backlash from Democrats and some Republicans.

The sanctions were to be implemented under a law that passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support, named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a staunch Trump ally and ardent Ukraine supporter.

“It’s unconscionable that this administration is capitulating to a Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine and butchers innocent civilians every single day,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), one of the more vocal Trump critics within the GOP, said in a post on the social platform X.

“Lindsey would be appalled,” wrote Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).

Trump defended his decision to waive sanctions in a Truth Social post on Sunday, arguing that it keeps Russia at the negotiating table. He said he could reverse course at any time.

“I am 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,” he said.

Republican leaders intentionally gave the president broad discretion over the sanctions in order to get the White House’s support for the bill. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Fox News on Sunday that Trump’s waiver was “the right decision.”

The move is one of a few the administration has made in recent days that critics say are only contributing to furthering Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘s war machine.

Trump’s deal with Putin to import Russian diesel fuel into the U.S. has been met with similar pushback across the political spectrum.

This has come while Ukrainian officials have reported they’ve lost access to SpaceX’s Starlink and Starshield technology, which has been key to Ukraine’s communications and drone operations during the war.

Both Elon Musk , who owns SpaceX, and the White House have denied responsibility for the interruption to Ukraine’s access. The Telegraph has reported that Musk came to Trump with the idea , while a source familiar with the discussion told Axios that Trump didn’t push back on it.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told NBC News’s Kristen Welker Starlink had been “deblocked” in an interview that aired Sunday on “Meet the Press.”

“We are very thankful for this,” he said. “Now it works.”

He’s been seeking to ramp up pressure on the Trump administration in recent days to stand by his country, warning of dire consequences if Ukraine is abandoned.

“If United States will support Putin, I mean, it’s unbelievable, it’s tragedy, it’s historic mistake and big tragedy. That’s why I think that I don’t want to live in illusions, but I think that we have to be pragmatic,” he told Welker.

The administration’s Russia-friendly posture has rallied a growing chorus of House Republicans to use their leverage ahead of an expected battle over additional funding for the Pentagon in Congress following the midterms, The Hill’s Mike Lillis and Filip Timotija report .

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) warned that none of Trump’s legislative agenda will pass through Congress during the lame-duck session unless the president takes action to punish Russia. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) threatened funding for agencies “if they’re not doing their jobs.”

“There’s going to be enough pressure from the Hill that the admin recognizes that they need to back off, to some degree, if they actually want to get something done,” a House GOP aide said.

Republicans also don’t seem to all be taking the administration’s word that it wasn’t responsible for the disruption to Ukraine’s Starlink access.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated Saturday that the administration didn’t order it slowed but it “sort of happened.”

Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said on CBS News’s “Face the Nation” that the explanation is “absolutely not” sufficient .

“This is something where there needs to be” a congressional investigation, Turner said.

Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) are pushing a deal to give Ukraine access to Starshield over Russia in exchange for Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian petroleum infrastructure, which Trump has blamed for worsening the global energy crisis.

Cramer told Margaret Brennan this would allow Ukraine to “go deep into Russia and attack their attackers, in other words, their launch facilities, kill the archer, not the arrows,” during an appearance on CBS News’s “Face the Nation.”

Even Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.), the sister of the late senator, broke with the president over the sanctions waiver, saying she planned to discuss the matter with him when he visits South Carolina for a rally this week.

“Personally, I would choose to keep the pressure on Russia … because I don’t trust Putin, and I don’t trust Russia,” she told The Associated Press, stopping short of criticizing Trump directly.

▪ The Hill : The Memo: Ukraine’s slide into crisis sharpens questions for Trump.

▪ The Hill : Ukraine faces grim question on if it can go on without the U.S.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS : The Hill is currently collecting nominations for its annual Top Lobbyists list, made up of the most influential folks in Washington. Know a lobbyist who moved the needle this year? Nominate them for The Hill’s Top Lobbyists here by Nov. 6.

Shawn Oliver, the GOP’s lieutenant governor nominee in Massachusetts, has suspended his campaign after he was arrested and charged with one count of operating under the influence following a car crash late Saturday night. Republican gubernatorial nominee Mike Minogue had called on his running mate to step aside.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed four of his country’s service members were killed in a fire that broke out at a military base in Alberta. An additional 39 people were hospitalized, including at least 19 in critical condition. Officials are investigating the cause.

Trump rolled out a plan for a new golf course at East Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, showing a proposed course that would take up much of the island that the park sits on. A federal judge last week ordered the administration to stop work on the park after hundreds of trees were cut down.

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., arrives before Dr. Heidi Overton testifies at her nomination hearing to become the commissioner of Food and Drug Administration at the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

ROLLING ON : The president is expanding on his midterm blitz this week as he makes a final pitch to voters throughout the country to keep Republicans in power in Congress.

Trump will make a different stop every day this week, starting today in Kansas, where Sen. Roger Marshall (R) is facing a surprisingly competitive race despite Democrats not having won a Senate seat there in more than 90 years. Polls show Marshall and Democrat Adam Hamilton essentially neck and neck.

Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifted the race to “toss-up” last week, noting that a “full-on Republican rescue operation” seems to be underway for Marshall.

Following the stop today, Trump will travel to North Carolina on Tuesday, South Carolina on Wednesday, Iowa on Thursday, Florida on Friday, Georgia on Saturday and Michigan on Sunday.

Both sides are rolling out the big guns. Former President Obama will campaign with Michigan Democratic candidates on Saturday, while former President Clinton will campaign for Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolly on Tuesday.

▪ The Hill Insider : This Week: Michigan Senate debate, Trump rallies.

▪ The Hill : Abdul El-Sayed criticizes implication of Muslim Brotherhood question.

TO THE STREETS : Thousands of “No Kings” protests were held over the weekend as part of a national “day of action” demonstrating against the president as the early voting window starts throughout the country.

The protests were the fourth iteration of the demonstrations put on by the No Kings Coalition during Trump’s second term, bringing millions onto streets nationwide.

In Washington, D.C., protesters marched from the White House to the Capitol holding signs such as “Your vote is your voice” and “Pro-American, anti-Trump.”

The protests come as Trump critics and pro-democracy advocates have expressed concern about the president possibly seeking to interfere with the midterms to ensure Republicans stay in control of Congress. The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch and Mike Lillis report on how outside good-government groups are scrambling to protect the results from any outside interference.

Insiders can read more about the organizations’ plan to safeguard elections here .

▪ NPR : No Kings draws crowds with early-voting focus.

PREGAME TRAGEDY : A U.S. Air Force member died Saturday after falling while attempting to rappel from the rafters before a football game between the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and the Navy.

The service member was taken to a local hospital, where he died. He was one of four scheduled to appear during a pregame rappelling demonstration during UTSA’s annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans game.

An investigation is underway into what happened. The service member, whose identity hasn’t been publicly revealed yet, was assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, The Associated Press reported.

The president will sign an executive order at 11 a.m. He will travel to Wichita, Kan., to deliver remarks at 7 p.m. EDT before returning to the White House.

The Senate will meet at 9 a.m. for a pro forma session.

The House will convene at 10 a.m. for a pro forma session.

A nurse prepares a combination measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine for a patient at a pediatrics clinic in Easley, S.C., on March 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon)

CALL FOR HELP : Infectious disease experts say clearer communication is needed from top health leaders as officials attempt to get a growing measles outbreak under control.

More than 4,000 measles cases have been confirmed nationwide so far, and the number of deaths appears to have already doubled compared to last year. Money has been sent to state and local health departments to counter the outbreaks, but The Hill’s Joseph Choi reports that experts say clear guidance from federal authorities has been lacking.

“I do think that a national message can be crafted to encompass a more broad kind of acceptance of people’s vaccine hesitancy,” said Jeanne Marrazzo , the CEO of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. “We just haven’t really seen that because, again, I don’t think we’ve seen a full-throated endorsement or explanation of why the vaccine right now is so critical.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has sent roughly $100 million in additional funding to state, local and tribal health departments, supporting vaccinations, prevention and disease detection efforts. The agency also said it would send additional support to Pennsylvania, which has the highest number of cases in the country.

But guidance or vocal endorsements of measles vaccines and mitigation efforts have been lacking.

CDC Director Erica Schwartz hasn’t said much about the outbreak. She did tell a local Atlanta news outlet that measles is the “most contagious disease” and reiterated the vaccine is “safe and effective.”

But specialists said a stronger messaging campaign would go a long way.

▪ The Hill : CDC sends ‘disease detective’ to Pennsylvania.

▪ The Hill : Health insurance is the sleeper midterm issue.

President Trump, right, poses for a photo with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before he boards Air Force One at Ben Gurion International Airport on Oct. 13, 2025, near Tel Aviv, as Israeli President Isaac Herzog watches at left. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

BACKING BIBI : Trump declared his support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday ahead of Israel’s critical legislative elections next week.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social directed to the “Great People of Israel” that Netanyahu is a “Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting” Iran.

Some tensions have flared up between Trump and Netanyahu in recent months over how to conduct the Iran war and the broader Middle East conflict. Trump confirmed in June that he called Netanyahu “f—cking crazy” during a heated phone conversation over his frustrations with Israel’s military operations in Lebanon.

Still, the two leaders have been key allies for years. The Iran war began at the end of February with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes.

Netanyahu is set to face Israeli voters for the first time since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks next Tuesday, Oct. 27. His reputation as Israel’s best defender against its enemies took a potentially mortal hit following the deadliest attack on the country in its history. His critics have argued he is to blame for the intelligence failure that allowed the attacks to happen.

Polls show a close race between Netanyahu’s coalition and the opposition bloc led by former general Gadi Eisenkot . Netanyahu is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, having been in power for more than 15 years apart from a roughly yearlong period out of power.

“If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so,” Trump said. “Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself. Despite all of that, he has endured and, in fact, he has thrived!”

▪ The Hill : Mike Huckabee condemns Israeli settlers’ attack on photojournalist.

▪ The Hill : Israeli filmmakers bring counter ‘NAZA’ programming to Capitol.

We didn’t protect children from social media — we have another chance with AI , Kris Perry writes in The Hill.

Divided we fall: Violent partisanship and the threat to national security , Douglas MacKinnon writes in The Hill.

Former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes leaves federal court in San Jose, Calif., March 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

And finally … Filmmaker and comedian Nathan Fielder ’s documentary about disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes has drawn 2,000 sold-out shows so far during its limited run across the U.S.

The documentary, entitled “You Can See Everything,” was released over the weekend, depicting Holmes just before she was to report to prison in 2023. Forbes estimated the film grossed $15 million during the weekend.

Holmes was seen as a possible next Steve Jobs after pioneering technology that could supposedly test for a wide array of diseases with a small amount of blood from a simple finger prick. But her company collapsed as she was convicted of fraud charges for misleading investors.

Holmes is serving a more than 10-year prison sentence but was reportedly approved last month to be moved to a halfway house next year.