The White House has given Mixed Signals on whether President Donald Trump will veto the legislation approved by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday that gives a package of sanctions against Russia for interfering the U.S. elections and for its aggression in Syria and Ukraine.
After the legislation was approved, Mr. trump’s new communications director Anthony Scaramucci only said that there was yet no decision on the part of the president if he would sign the legislation. On the other hand, new Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders hinted that the president would accept the legislation, saying that Trump supports strong actions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Attacks to Putin
White officials who opposed the legislation have said that the president would veto the legislation to keep up a rapport with Russian President Vladimir Putin. But there is a question if Mr. Trump could afford to go against Republicans and Democrats uniting solidly on this issue.
Republican and Democratic legislators would seem to have united under the banner of strong nationalism against Russian interference in U.S. elections. Both parties have agreed in what Democratic Representative Eliot Engel of New York described as a direct response to Putin’s efforts “to undermine democracy.” Senator John McCain of Arizona also attacked Putin for his "disrespect and disdain" for American democracy.
Underlying established conclusion
This approval of the package of sanctions against Russia would seem to make the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence agencies unassailable already. Two conclusions have not been assailed already in Congress. One is that Russia had hacked the Democratic National Committee during the election, and the other is that Russia released emails embarrassing Hillary Clinton obviously to help Mr.
Trump. These become established, unassailable conclusions in Congress and Senate underlying in the legislation on Russian sanctions even as congressional investigations are continuing at present.
However, Mr. Scaramucci cast doubt on the charge of Russian hacking, saying there was never strong evidence to it, adding that the president remains not convinced that the Russians were behind the cyber attack.
The White House strongly opposes to the provision in the legislation that would give review power to Congress on future decisions of Trump to either amend or discontinue the Russian sanctions. The legislation gives Mr. Trump an option to lift sanctions like returning the Russian diplomatic compounds in Maryland that Barack Obama closed down before he exited from power.
Russia immediately responded to the approval of the legislation, describing it as “highly negative.” The message was relayed by Mr. Putin’s spokesman Dmitri Pekov.
