Rubbish Check
Fox Business · October 16, 2026
source“Trump waives many Russian sanctions, tariffs under new law backed by Lindsey Graham”
R5/ 10
Selective
Rubbish Rating — 1 = base fact, 10 = pure rubbish
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In short
Rubbish Talk rates Fox Business's headline on Trump's Graham Act waiver a 5/10 because, while the core claim is accurate, the piece omits that the waiver landed just two days before the law's sanctions were due to take effect, a timing detail other outlets led with as the real story.
The Verdict
Selective. The headline's central claim checks out against the executive order, but the article buries the clock: the sanctions were set to kick in on Oct. 18, and Trump signed the waiver two days before that deadline, effectively stopping the law from ever biting. It also leaves out the political reaction, Democratic criticism and a Russian envoy's praise, that rival coverage treated as central to the story.
What actually happened
Trump signed an executive order waiving most of the sanctions and tariffs required under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which he had signed into law the previous month. He certified the waiver as being in the "national interest," a mechanism built into the law itself, and the move follows a separate deal in which Russia agreed to release diesel into global markets amid rising fuel prices.
Key facts
- The Graham Act requires sweeping sanctions and tariffs targeting Russian energy over the war in Ukraine unless the president determines that waiving the measures is in the US national interest.
- The new sanctions and tariffs were set to take effect in two days, and Trump signed the order just two days before that deadline.
- The Act directs the president to increase duties on all Russian goods imported into the U.S. by up to 500% no later than 30 days after enactment, a figure Fox's article does not mention (it cites only the 100% secondary tariff on top importers of Russian crude and gas).
- The move comes after Trump last week announced a deal allowing Russia to resume diesel exports, saying Moscow would immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tons, or 2.25 million barrels, to US and global markets.
- The moves have drawn praise from a Russian envoy and criticism from Democrats, a reaction split Fox's piece omits entirely.
What to watch for
Watch whether Trump "determines additional action is necessary," as the order itself reserves that option, and whether Congress or courts challenge the waiver as gutting the law's intent before it ever applied. Also watch diesel price moves tied to the Russia deal, since that's the stated justification for the waiver.
About this scoreThe R-Score is Rubbish Talk's editorial opinion on how far a headline's framing sits from what the underlying facts support. It is a judgement about presentation and emphasis, not an allegation that any outlet has acted dishonestly. Every figure we rely on is linked under Receipts so you can check it yourself.
