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Trump’s Own Energy Secretary Just Contradicted His Russia Story

Oct 18, 2026 · 18m

Summary

This episode examines the fallout from President Trump’s decision to waive sanctions on Russian diesel exports, a move critics argue undermines Ukraine’s defense and benefits Putin. Hosts discuss the irony of the late Senator Lindsey Graham’s sanctions bill, which inadvertently gave Trump the authority to lift these restrictions, and analyze the contradictory rationales provided by administration officials like Chris Wright. The conversation also highlights the political paralysis among Republicans, who are reluctant to challenge Trump or Elon Musk due to Musk’s status as the party’s larges…

Topics discussed

Sponsors: Clinique Moisture Surge and Pennzoil Intro: Sam Stein and Will Salatin discuss live show Ukraine crisis: Sanctions, Starlink, and GOP rift Lindsey Graham's legacy and the Russia sanctions bill Speculating on how Graham would handle current events Trump's motives: Putin affinity vs. diesel prices Contradictions: Canada trade war and Putin phone call Chris Wright's contradictory claims on Russian diesel Mike Johnson's 'thinking outside the box' defense Sponsors: Hotels.com and Pennzoil Critique of GOP 'grownups in charge' narrative European gas imports and failed one-day peace promise Trump's false claims of an energy ceasefire Zelensky's dilemma on Meet the Press Elon Musk, Starlink, and Republican donor influence Investigating Musk's role in Ukraine policy Outro: Live show promos and Substack discount Sponsors: Hotels.com, Staples, and Shingles vaccine
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