United States politics
The recordFiled October 18, 2026Checked October 18, 2026
The Senate did pass the Russia sanctions law 86-11, and the same law lets the president waive it.
After Trump waived the new Graham Act sanctions on Russia, Sen. Thom Tillis asked what part of "enforcing a law passed 86-11 by the Senate" the president didn't understand. The Senate roll call shows 86 to 11. The waiver Trump used is written into the law Tillis voted for.
See primary source: U.S. SenateLeft
Lean left · Left-leaning US article
Trump doubles down after waiving new Russia sanctions, calling it a ‘very good decision’
Kyla Guilfoil, Brennan Leach, Freddie Clayton · October 16, 2026
“Beyond irresponsible,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who is retiring at the end of his term, wrote on X. “What part of enforcing a law passed 86-11 by the Senate does the President and his advisors not understand?”
Right
Lean right · Right-leaning US article
Republicans Turn on Trump Over Russia Sanctions Waiver
Alex Backus · October 17, 2026
“What part of enforcing a law passed 86-11 by the Senate does the President and his advisors not understand?” Tillis wrote on X Saturday.
We’re interested in your thoughts
Before you see our verdict, what’s your call on this claim?What’s your call on this claim? Our verdict is shown below.
FP verdict
The main point holds, with a caveat.
Confidence score: 7/10 — The Senate roll call matches the 86-11 count exactly; the deduction is for the implication that the waiver ignores the law, which the order's citations to section 115 contradict.
Sourced from U.S. Senate, the main point holds, with a caveat.
“What part of enforcing a law passed 86-11 by the Senate does the President and his advisors not understand?”
The Senate passed H.R. 5334, the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, 86 to 11 on Aug. 7, 2026, and Tillis voted yes. Trump signed it on Sept. 18. His Oct. 16 executive order waived its new tariffs and most of its sanctions under section 115(a) of the same law, after certifying to Congress that the waiver is in the national interest. The vote count is right. The suggestion that the president is refusing to enforce the law leaves out that the law itself gives him this waiver.
Primary source: Senate Roll Call Vote 224 (H.R. 5334, as amended), Aug. 7, 2026 (U.S. Senate)
Red versus Blue
Based on the full articles
- Shared factsBoth quote Tillis's "86-11" line in full and report that Trump waived the Graham Act sanctions by executive order.
- Different emphasisNBC News, from the left, ties the waiver to Trump's diesel deal with Putin and to Rubio's 60-day review. Newsweek, from the right, frames it as Republicans turning on Trump and gives the White House's defense.
- Material differencesNewsweek quotes the order's certification to Congress; NBC News quotes only the order's national-interest line. Neither says outright that the waiver power is in the law Tillis voted for.
Shows its work
How this rating was reached
- Lie
- Doesn't hold up
- Misleading
- Mostly false
- Half true
- Mostly true
- True
- Unproven
This verdict aligns with the primary source, U.S. Senate: YEAs 86, NAYs 11, Not Voting 3; Tillis voted yea. The Oct. 16 executive order cites section 115(a) of the same act for its waivers.
Why it holds up
Why mostly true
The number Tillis gives is exactly right, and he voted for the bill. We rate it mostly true, not true, because his question suggests the president is refusing to enforce the law, while the order uses a waiver the law provides. Whether that waiver should have been used is a political judgment we don't rate.
01
The claim
NBC News reported: "“Beyond irresponsible,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who is retiring at the end of his term, wrote on X. “What part of enforcing a law passed 86-11 by the Senate does the President and his advisors not understand?”" Newsweek carried the same words and said Tillis posted them on Saturday.
02
The Senate vote
The Senate's roll call vote 224, on Aug. 7, 2026, was on passage of H.R. 5334 as amended, the act "to impose sanctions and other measures with respect to the Russian Federation, as championed by the late Senator Lindsey O. Graham." The tally was 86 yeas, 11 nays and 3 not voting. Tillis is recorded as a yea.
03
The House vote and the signing
The House approved the bill 262 to 159 on Sept. 16, 2026, with Republicans voting 203 to 7. Trump's own order says: "On September 18, 2026, I signed the Graham Act into law."
04
What the law lets the president do
The Oct. 16 order cites the law itself for the waiver: "Pursuant to section 115(a) of the Graham Act, I hereby waive the application of any duties provided for in sections 112 and 113 of the Graham Act or this order." It adds that Trump sent Congress "a certification that the issuance of such a waiver is in the national interests of the United States and a report explaining the basis for the certification, consistent with section 115(b) of the Graham Act."
05
What the order leaves in place
The order waives most of the new law's sanctions sections too, but says: "For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this order affects any sanctions or other measures provided for under any Executive Order issued to address the national emergency that I continued on March 24, 2026" with respect to Russia. The waivers last until the president or the secretary of state decides "further action is appropriate." Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Trump wants 60 days to study the impact, NBC News reported.
06
The left-leaning framing
NBC News led with the waiver and the Republican backlash, tying it to Trump's diesel deal with Putin: "Trump’s decision to put a hold on the sanctions package comes after he announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week to release hundreds of thousands of tons of Russian diesel fuel onto the global market as fuel prices soar."
07
The right-leaning framing
Newsweek's headline was "Republicans Turn on Trump Over Russia Sanctions Waiver." It quoted the order's own waiver language and a White House spokeswoman: "The President retains the ability to exercise these authorities at any time if he determines that doing so would advance national interests."
08
The buried fact
The waiver is part of the law. Section 115(a) of the enacted act says: "The President may, subject to subsection (b), waive the application of any sanctions provision with respect to a foreign person, any restriction with respect to a person, or any duty under this title." Subsection (b) requires a certification "that the issuance of the waiver is in the national interests of the United States" and a report explaining it. The order cites that section for every waiver it issues. Neither NBC News nor Newsweek spells out that the waiver power comes from the law itself.
- PrimaryU.S. Government Publishing Office: H.R. 5334, Enrolled Bill (Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026)
- PrimaryThe White House: Implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026
- PrimaryU.S. Senate: Roll Call Vote 119th Congress, 2nd Session, Vote Number 224 (H.R. 5334, as amended)
09
What each side gets right, and hides
NBC News gets the vote, the waiver and the diesel deal into one story, but treats the waiver as a break with Congress without saying the law allows it. Newsweek quotes the order's waiver language and the White House's defense, but frames the story as a Republican revolt without saying how many of those Republicans voted for the waiver provision.
10
The question to ask
If 86 senators wanted these sanctions to be automatic, why did the law they passed let the president switch them off with a certification?
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Senate vote on H.R. 5334 (Graham Act), Aug. 7, 2026 | 86 yeas, 11 nays, 3 not voting | U.S. Senate |
| House vote, Sept. 16, 2026 | 262 to 159 | Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |
| Republicans in the House vote | 203 yes, 7 no | Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |
Caveats and limits
Not verified
- We didn't see the certification and report the order says were sent to Congress.
Caveats
- This report rates Tillis's statement about the Senate vote and what it implies about enforcing the law. It doesn't rate whether the waiver is good policy.
- The Senate's 86-11 vote was on the bill as amended; the House then approved that version 262 to 159.
Sources
Primary · official record
Primary · official record
Roll Call 308, H.R. 5334Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives · September 16, 2026
Primary · official record
Primary · official record
Secondary reporting
Trump doubles down after waiving new Russia sanctions, calling it a ‘very good decision’NBC News · Kyla Guilfoil, Brennan Leach, Freddie Clayton · October 16, 2026
Secondary reporting
Republicans Turn on Trump Over Russia Sanctions WaiverNewsweek · Alex Backus · October 17, 2026
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