After a careful review of HR5334, the Lindsey Graham Russian Sanctions Bill [pdf HERE], I can certainly see why President Trump would happily sign it.
The bill has several elements that are immensely useful for President Trump, beginning with the fact that the baseline of the bill sits upon the cornerstone of current U.S. sanctions against Russia. This is a critical aspect to understand, because if you take away the originating Russian sanctions, HR5334 disappears.
Secondly, the bill grants President Trump the ability to place 100% tariffs on the top five trading partners of Russia, but the bill also grants wide latitude as to how those top five are determined. Top five oil, top five gas, top five financial, top five sector specific (energy, grain, oil, minerals etc.) the actual parameters or definitions of the “top five” are undetermined except by monetary value.
Some have just realized what this bill empowers. Others have yet to catch on. Additionally, The bill gives President Trump the ability to impose tariffs of up to 100% within 30 days on all goods imported into the US from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas as well as any country that knowingly made new purchases of oil or gas 30 days after the law was enacted or was among the top five countries helping Russia evade sanctions.
But there’s the key, again the authority is based on the pre-existing “sanctions.” So, who determines sanction relief? [interim, temporary, or strategic, in coordination with the policy objectives of the President] That would be U.S. Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent.
Remember the previous 30-day interim sanction relief that Bessent and Trump provided for Russian oil/gas “on the water’? In that scenario, the legislatively authorized tariff authority becomes entirely subject to the application determination of President Trump. Ex. give a 30-day waiver and suddenly oil/gas are no longer the largest monetary trade issues. Instead, it could be as simple as who buys the most Russian caviar; maybe it’s Italy or Spain, or even Canada. lol 😂
Reuters – […] critics say the legislation, which imposes tariffs on Russia’s biggest trading partners, has broad language that could herald trouble for other countries as well if they find themselves in Trump’s crosshairs in the future.
The bill requires Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% within 30 days on all goods imported into the US from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas as well as any country that knowingly made new purchases of oil or gas 30 days after the law was enacted or was among the top five countries helping Russia evade sanctions.
China and India are among the biggest buyers of Russian oil, but critics say the law gives US officials enough leeway to name a range of targets since it does not name any country or spell out how the top-five lists would be calculated.
“Given the discretionary authority that the president has, it is likely to be abused,” said Laura Brank, a lawyer at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner who focuses on cross-border transactions.
[…] Challenging the latest tariffs in court could be difficult since the law specifically calls for the duties, while previous challenges to tariffs have successfully argued that the Trump administration misapplied laws from decades earlier. (more)
Congress was very upset at the horrible Trump for his tariff approach.
Congress has just given Trump a golden tariff pen.
Cheers!
If there is a millimeter, President Trump will find a way to build a 4 lane superhighway and possibly a casino and hotel resort through it.
Turn about is fair play.
This time around, some good can come of it rather than bad.
with gold ornamention
Funny how Congress passed the Russian sanction tariffs with no problem but wouldn’t pass the Save America Act? I don’t see any reason for celebrating.
Perhaps The Save America Act was a DISTRACTION?
“I don’t see any reason for celebrating.”
Didn’t you read what Sundance wrote? Sounds like you did not.
So let’s see….
-PDJT calls the President of SA; next thing you know is SA stops oil to the western Europe
-option is to start buying oil from Russia, who they are at war with….Putin is smiling…
-New law enabling PDJT to empose 100% tariff on any Country buying product.
In my book, I call that checkmate….life is about leverage. I just wish our fellow citizens could appreciate the BRILLIANCE of our President.
Trump may, in fact, be the only elected official in all of DC who isn’t a Uniparty rat fink.
I’d like to hope there’s at least a few more, but I’m not confident about it.
All that matters is what he can get accomplished on his own, with both wings of Team U against him.
And do not doubt that whatever token cooperation Trump gets from the GOP is only for the sake of not making it obvious, to the most normal of normies, how fake and staged our so called 2 party system is.
And these cursory attempts to not completely give the game away (like not being quite nervy enough to steal it from Trump again in 2024) is the rock the Uniparty finds itself wedged against, with Trump and MAGA voters leaning on them from the other side.
Sure would be nice to have 25 Ken Paxtons in the Senate, but we have to make the most of what we have right now.
“Trump may, in fact, be the only elected official in all of DC who isn’t a Uniparty rat fink.”
Yep, yep, and yeppers.
Individual votes by members of the House and Senate fluctuate depending on various things.
These “things” collectively revolve around money and power. It is very, very situational.
Democrats are worse overall, but there are way more than a few rascally Republicans.
Money and power
Power and money….make the legislative world go round and round.
“4 lane superhighway” LOL -With paving and everything?
How long before a biden/obama judge brings this to a halt?
These “judges” need to stay in their own dad-gum lane.
better yet, they should take the off ramp to a rest area!
Some need their driving licenses revoked.
But they won’t.
Not a single federal judge stopped the IEEPA Tariffs even after six district courts, appeals court and customs courts heard the cases in trial and ruled the IEEPA Tariff was both illegal and unconstitutional.
On the other hand, President Trump’s immigration, deportation and budget actions are restrained, TRO’d and earn injunctions within days and before the case is even heard.
There must be a reason?
Part of the communist plan sponsored by the party of the jackass
I suppose that depends on how long it takes a couple of lawyers to write the first request for an injunction. Not later than Monday probably.
Congress passed this law and the President signed it. It’s not an executive order. So unless they can say it’s unconstitutional, on what grounds could the judiciary get involved?
Precisely!
Whatever grounds they make up on the spot.
Have they needed a valid reason before?
“Given the discretionary authority that the president has, it is likely to be abused,” said Laura Brank, a lawyer…these grounds wouldn’t surprise me.
By Monday morning.
Yeppers.. and it’s a good thing they don’t write the laws … The foreign born unAmerican courtroom props need to be dethroned
Methinks we may still be “WINNING”!!!
Oh the beauty of the duties because of the Ruskies! 😂 President Trump let it ripppp!
If only he hadn’t started this stupid war with Iran things would be going great.
Going by everything Sundance/Promethean Updates have been posting it seems like taking out Iran is a pretty key component of the President’s overall plan here.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Concern Troll ALERT. (The proper screen name is a dead giveaway)
Let the games begin…I’ve always appreciated those who can play 3 dimensional chess!
I’m the House Scott just did it
Can’t the Senate still scratch this?
Senate passed it. Trump just SIGNED it 🤗
It passed the House & Senate and was just signed by the President. They would have to pass a new bill to amend, or repeal it.
Last I knew Congress Critters were going on vacation for most of the rest of the year. Might have to cut the vacations short and work some more before the election and holiday season.
” The U.S. House is scheduled to leave Washington on Wednesday evening for a seven-week district work period ”
https://www.businessreport.com/article/house-members-exit-dc-without-addressing-ai
The Senate is busy giving Blood Products to keep McConnell – pink in color
Them giving their own blood? Do they know what personal charity is? Altruism, just not seeing it.
Pacts signed in blood they might know more about.
Boo Hoo!!
If the law is being “abused” then the ones to blame are those who wrote the law and not the one who operates within its explicit instructions and limitations.
DEFINE ” abuse of discretionary authority ”
definition by WEF, NGOs, EU, Iran, who gets to DEFINE ?
But Congress has not written a law in years. 5 large lobbyist firms, full of lawyers, write almost all of them. They are paid by the wealthiest and largest corporations and in turn donate to Congressional Cartel campaigns. Most never even bother reading bills but vote the way their aides, who are paid by the law firms, tell them to.
I’m sorry, not sorry…
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
The wailing and gnashing of teeth coming from Congress must be loud after they realize what they have handed President Trump. Putting Lindsey Graham’s name on the bill is icing on the cake.
Guess they should have read the bill BEFORE they passed it.
Does anyone in Congress do their job anymore? K Street lobbyists write almost all legislation, but Congress critters (or their staff) still need to read it. (Don’t get me wrong: I’m very glad Trump and WE the People benefit from their unforced error 😉
Reading AND comprehension: apparently not very strong skills on Capitol Hill.
I have read a couple of accounts that stated that Congress is using AI to write bills.
That frees them up to trade stocks, party and make money stream deals.
I want my Kaspersky back.
Me too
Q1. Where does EUkraine get its Oil & Gas from?
A. Mainly Poland and Romania.
Q2. Where does Poland and Romania get their Oil & Gas from?
A. Mainly Russia!
BETTER THAN a Box of Whitman’s Chocolates !
Poland and Romania rail lines are now cut off.
Too bad!
0.o
Good, now ease the Russian sanctions and nail the EU and it’s associate members hard.
PARDON THE INTERRUPTION
FNN, PMSNOW and PUNKLITICO BANNED from the White House!
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2026/09/18/president-trump-bans-cnn-msnow-and-politico-from-the-white-house/
CNN banned.
I would love FNN to be banned.
so do I understand this right…… Saudi Arabia shuts down a pipe carrying oil to Europe. Europe’s gonna have to buy oil from Russia. Trump can tariff European goods because they’re buying oil from Russia?
How’d Congress let that happen?
Checkmate, I don’t think EU is “allowed” to trade with Russia for oil due to WWReddit. However, we are pumping a fair bit and seem to have come into a country oozing with crude in SA.
There are still exemptions and work arounds. For example a European shipping company and traders cannot buy Russia LNG and oil from Russia to sell directly to Europe, but they can sell it to other countries. They can sell it to India and ‘hocus-pocus’ it becomes Indian LNG.
Europe is now buying more diesel from China. China buys Russian oil to produce diesel. 🙄
Now you are seeing what PDJT has been handed, more options.
SOME ” play ” Checkers – TRUMP PLAYS CHESS
>>> VERY FEW of the congressmembers KNOW that TRUE INTENT of the BILLS and Their RESULTING RAMIFICATIONS after Passage. THE STAFF WRITES THE BILL and in That FACT, the STAFF IS RESPONSIBLE
( but NOT; BECAUSE They ARE NOT ELECTED and WILL PROBABLY STAY in D.C. AFTER the ” MEAT PUPPET ” Leaves Office )
5 Moves AHEAD At LEAST with TREASURY SEC BISSENT and Director PETER NAVARRO
Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy.
https://oldschoolchess.com/learn/compare/chess-vs-checkers
Yep.
The Russia sanctions bill sanctions everybody but Russia.
OH, THIS IS Juicy !
” The bill gives President Trump the ability to impose tariffs of up to 100% within 30 days on all goods imported into the US from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas as well as any country that knowingly made new purchases of oil or gas 30 days after the law was enacted or was among the top five countries helping Russia evade sanctions. ”
House of SAUD said to EUROPE ( the EU ) -> SORRY, NO OIL FOR YOU !
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/saudi-aramco-will-not-supply-european-oil-refiners-with-crude-in-october-sources
What a wonderful web we weave …… Graham’s web.
Silly Congress.
Lindsey, just handed a gift to our president from the other side.
Thank you!
I’ll need to see this in action first.
The biggest downside IMO is the tariff mechanism. The duties can apply broadly to goods coming from targeted countries, so American importers, businesses, and consumers will likely bear much higher costs, especially if major trading partners are affected or retaliate.
It’s a fact that US importers bear nearly the full tariff cost.
The obsession with tariffs is crazy. Business schools will be studying the past couple years for a long time to come.
War, not trade
It’s a fact that importers often absorb some or all of the tariff in order to preserve market share 😎
A lot of importers also have a not insignificant spread on their margins.
Given the tariffs are on wholesale prices, that is a relatively small portion of what will end up in the retail pricing.
Case in point, refer back to this mechanism in action during President Trump’s first term.
Is this why President Trump gave Lindsey Graham a pass? Endorsed him etc? Did they work this out between them? Questions, Questions.
This is just absurd. Nothing in either law or morality gives the US the right to tell country A (which the US is not at war with) that it may not engage in peaceful trade with country B (which the US is also not at war with).
We’re basically trying to tell China, India, and every other country on the planet that they are subordinate to us and must follow the dictates of the US government. There is no way this can possibly end well for us.
To make things even more absurd, we’re doing all this supposedly in the defense of “national sovereignty”!
The USA is not telling anyone who they can trade or not trade with. The USA is telling country A that if they want to peacefully trade with country B then their tariffs of goods into the USA will increase.
They can take it or leave it.
It is called setting boundaries of what we will accept or not accept. Everyone should be able to set boundaries.
None of this has happened. They can trade with us or not. Countries do the same to us. We can decide if we want to trade with them.
Do you not understand that these are age old mechanisms of trade? Do you not understand that for decades our corrupt, greedy, traitorous, moronic and compromised politicians have willingly surrendered to a global agenda draining our economy and fueling the economies of our enemies?
America has been bled into crippling debt. Massive unbalanced trade is suicidal for a nation this strong.
.
.
VVVVV This is not the real world VVVVVV
sDee
WHEN we WERE INNOCENT Minds – OPEN to thinking that the World was READY for STAR TREK Type Dreams.
The FEDERATION
That is why it is called Science FICTION.
We don’t have Debt.
We have FRAUD.
And fraud vitiates everything, as the man says.
POLITELY
WRONG VIEW
EU IS Protected by U.S.
EU IS FINANCED by U.S.
EU IS ACCELERATING a USELESS SLAUGHTER in UKRAINE using supplies and MIS-Application of Resources by U.S.
EU and THE REST Of THE WORLD USES The U.S. FINANCIAL SYSTEM to CONDUCT & MOVE COMMERCE under the U.S. PROTECTIONS Provided to Them by U.S.
YES, PRAY That we USE OUR LEVERAGE WITH DISCERNMENT.
U.S. GAMEBOARD, ” MONOPOLY ” and Game Pieces
https://www.monopolyland.com/monopoly-characters/
Sounds like you might need a tissue for that absurd issue.
0.o
What’s absurd is saying that the United States can’t attach conditions to our tariff policies.
That is just as absurd as saying we don’t have the right to tell Iran they can’t have a nuclear weapon.
As long as we are talking about absurdities.
Speaking of Russia:
Swiss food giant Nestlé is weighing its options after the Kremlin took control of its Russian assets, placing them under temporary external administration.
“Nestlé takes note of Russia’s presidential decree, published yesterday, that places Nestlé Russia under temporary external administration. The company is assessing the situation and its options,” the company said in a press release. “Nestlé is committed to taking all necessary steps to protect its rights and ensure continuity of business operations in the interests of all stakeholders, particularly its employees.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called Switzerland an “unfriendly country.”
“We are talking about European firms from unfriendly countries. And, of course, their status as such was one of the factors taken into account when making the decision,” Peskov to Russian news agency TASS. “These are unfriendly countries that are actively involved in military operations against our nation and have been involved in strikes by the Kiev regime on our civilian economic infrastructure.”
Switzerland is historically neutral and is not a member of the European Union, though it has adopted the EU’s sanctions against Russia since it invaded Ukraine in 2022. It has promoted a new neutrality initiative that voters will decide on this month.
Russia has criticized Switzerland for giving aid to Ukraine, and it has said it no longer views Switzerland as neutral.
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/russia-seizes-assets-of-nestle-french-firms-over-wests-ukraine-support
Sergei Lavrov has recently discussed Switzerland lacking neutrality as well.
0.o
This video provides insight into the Lawfare against Russia by the globalists.
0.o
“The Don” strikes again!
Sundance, did you figure this out well before President Trump signed the bill? 🙂
congress cant actually pass a bill that is named for what it does, but always the opposite.
they need to name the next bill “screw the american people over” bill and maybe we’ll finally get something good.
I’m not quite sure how this contributes to building a reasonable relationship with Russia, however, with sanctions already in place, it appears that it is those countries that defy the sanctions that are now in the spotlight. So, now that the Saudi pipeline is closed, and the EU presumably has no other option but to consider Russian fossil fuels…..is this part of the larger plan???
Yes, as it addresses the rather hypocritical situation where the EU countries that are actively calling for war against Russia, have helped a third country (some might call it a proxy) with its war with Russia, these same EU countries are still actively trading with Russia, even though there are sanctions in place.
The Russians need the trade, but are caught in a quandary of trading with countries that have openly declared that they might go to war with Russia (and if you consider Ukraine a proxy, then they are actively engaged in a war right now). This bill doesn’t further sanction Russia, it gives us leverage to tariff them, and a lot of leeway as to who we tariff and for what.
So, Russia can still trade, and those countries can still trade (and with Saudi shutting down for a while there will be increased desire for trade, that helps parties like the AfD), but we reserve the right to tariff those countries — which hurts their economic bottom line, which makes building that EU army or sending more aid to Ukraine a bit more difficult.
And it serves to clap back at the EU and Canada for their little budding relationship that’s at our expense (and Russia’s, and the citizens of the EU countries really, if you think about it).
Convoluted, but convoluted answers to tangled schemes.
This video explains the serious issues Ellensky is facing including the energy crisis in the EU and the dwindling support for the Ukraine.
Since more closely related topics have fallen off the front page into oblivion this video is better placed here.
There is another election in Germany on October 20th which may result in even less support for the Ukraine.
The Ukraine is now blocked from Poland and Romania rail transport as well as its Black Sea access.
The video contains no incidental graphics.
Listening on a faster speed in the interest of time is not recommended; the video is only 18 minutes long.
The video publisher has numerous videos in his yt channel library as well as a Substack.
0.o
Honestly, is President Trump the wiliest of foxes, or what? This is too funny!
Thank you, Sundance! I didn’t understand why President Trump would sign a Russian Sanctions bill until you pointed out the implications I didn’t know about! You are awesome!
It feels like there is always some judge, or a supreme court that blocks Potus at nearly every turn.
That reality won’t be undone quickly if ever. Permanent choke points to be honest.
What will they do with this – nothing because its a bill not a stand alone tariff per se?
Ladybugs’ Sissypants Sanctions Bill may have some benefits- but I learned from No Name’s history that people like him and Ladybugs can never be trusted.
Comical, “Given the discretionary authority that the president has, it is likely to be abused,” . Says a random lawyer.
Congress writes the bill, when implemented, it is abuse.
Yeah, okay.
Basically, its the BRICS countries who are in the cross hairs. And, if you are a member of the Brazilian oligarchy, you have to be sweating bullets, especially with Rubio’s recent engagement with South America. Something tells me that they are going to find their proverbial tit in the wringer, unless they behave themselves! Freedom, democracy and law & order is sweeping through South America and Brazil are among the last of the holdouts.
canaduh is gonna feel the golden tarruff pen.🤣
The UNIPARTY meant it for Endless War, but our president means it for beginning Peace in the Golden Age, praise God!
Genesis 50:20
As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil, for he brought me to this high position I have today so that I could save the lives of many people.
FISA is supposed to be for foreigners, but it’s really for Americans.
This bill is supposed to be for Russia, but it’s really for Europe. And “associates”.
Working in the private sector, I’ve seen firsthand how businesses meticulously plan material procurement well in advance of production. Unfortunately, when cronyism takes over, it cripples this process and stymies the broader economy. If you aren’t part of the inner circle a single phone call from an oligarch can dismantle your livelihood. Ultimately, business is speculation, and we desperately need a clear, concrete framework we can trust and plan around. We can adapt to different rules, but we just cannot plan in an environment of total uncertainty. We need less kingmaker and more support. What would this economy look like if you took out the future-casting AI infrastructure spending?
Now I understand why Trump was such a supporter of Lindsey Graham.. lol.. Thanks Senator Graham, may you rest in peace
Guys, it’s time to finally understand how the world works.
Neither Trump nor Congress can sanction Russia or China or, in fact, anybody outside the US border.
They can only sanction me and you.
Remember that the next time you’re paying three digits for your tank of gas.
Well, NOW this makes sense! Ty SD.