Johnson says Putin cannot be trusted and the waiver needs more talks with the White House
Mike JohnsonSpeaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
House Speaker Mike Johnson says on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures that House committees have concerns about the waiver and that Congress voted decisively for the sanctions. He says he told White House officials they need to talk and carefully consider its unintended consequences.
“Congress voted on this decisively just several weeks ago, and we understand that Putin cannot be trusted ... He demonstrates that over and over and over.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Trump waives the Graham Act's Russia sanctions
The White House says waiving the Graham Act's Russia measures preserves room for peace negotiations. Lawmakers from both parties and Volodymyr Zelenskyy say relief weakens pressure on Russia. Thomas Massie welcomes Trump's use of the authority Congress granted.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Roll Call report on congressional reaction to Trump's Russia decisions, including House Speaker Mike Johnson's comments on the Graham Act waiver.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Roll Call reports that Johnson, appearing on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures, says House committees such as Intelligence and Foreign Affairs have concerns about the waiver and that more discussions need to occur with the White House. He says he told White House officials this weekend that they need to talk about it and carefully consider the unintended consequences that may follow.
After the quotation
Roll Call reports the remarks alongside criticism of the waiver from other Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Trump's waiver of the Graham Act's Russia sanctions. Johnson voices concern, recalls Congress's vote and says Putin cannot be trusted, but he does not ask Trump to reverse the waiver and instead calls for more discussion with the White House about its consequences. His opposition is conditional, so we used the mixed or conditional label.
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The Dispute Index. "Johnson says Putin cannot be trusted and the waiver needs more talks with the White House". First published: 2026-10-21. Last updated: 2026-10-21. https://disputeindex.com/events/6393-house-speaker-mike-johnson-says-on-fox-news