U.S. President Donald Trump's abrupt cancellation of high tariffs on major importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas has triggered internal friction between the U.S. Republican Party and the administration.

The controversy began when President Trump announced on the 16th (local time) that he would exercise waiver authority regarding the restrictive measures and tariffs outlined in the "Lindsey Graham Russia and Iran Sanctions Act" (known as the Graham Act).

Named after the late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican, South Carolina), who was a close congressional ally of President Trump, the core of the law is to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on all goods entering the U.S. from the top five importing nations of Russian crude oil and natural gas.

President Trump signed the bill into law on September 18 after it passed Congress on a bipartisan basis in honor of the late senator's legacy, only to rescind it himself just before the 30-day period lapsed and the law took effect.

Consequently, criticism of President Trump's decision is pouring in not only from Democrats but also from within sections of the Republican Party.

Beyond Republican politicians who have charted a different course from President Trump, even House Speaker Mike Johnson, categorized as a loyalist, raised a question mark.

Appearing on Fox News on the 18th, Speaker Johnson stated that concerns have emerged among members of the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committees regarding President Trump's action, adding, "We need to carefully examine the unintended consequences that could follow from that."

Senator Darlin Graham, the late senator's sister who is running as a Republican candidate in the midterm elections to succeed him, publicly voiced opposition the previous day, stating, "I choose to maintain pressure on Russia to end the war and lower gasoline prices."

Criticism from within the Republican Party continued as Senator Thom Tillis (North Carolina) called the move "beyond irresponsible," Senator John Cornyn (Texas) remarked that the late Senator Graham "would have been appalled," and Senator Ted Cruz (Texas) labeled it a "mistake."

Cabinet officials defended President Trump's actions for a second consecutive day.

The argument is that the measure is intended to prompt Russia to flood the U.S. and global markets with diesel fuel.

It was the same logic used during the "diesel deal" agreed upon by President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 9th.

Meeting with reporters at Joint Base Andrews the previous day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "That [Russian] diesel fuel was going to be sold anyway."

Appearing on ABC News on the same day, Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized that the exemption measure is not an "economic lifeline" to Russia, but rather "a carrot being offered to end the war."

Secretary Wright stated, "This is an inducement to Russia. If Russia can de-escalate the conflict with Ukraine, if it can bring about an energy truce or de-escalate the conflict so that it has diesel fuel to export, we want to allow that to flow into the global market."

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on NBC News, "European countries have provided more money to Russia and Putin than they provided to Ukraine. They continue to voraciously consume Russian energy."

He effectively countered the criticism by arguing that "Europe is importing more than the United States."

The U.S. online media outlet Axios pointed out that Secretary Rubio's claim that "it was going to be exported anyway" and Secretary Wright's claim that it is "an inducement for ending the war" sound mutually contradictory.

This conflict within the U.S. ruling camp illustrates the dilemma faced by President Trump and the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections, amid soaring diesel prices.

It also appears to reflect the limitations of U.S. foreign policy, which fails to find solutions in the wars in Iran and Ukraine.

President Trump's stance is that diesel prices have skyrocketed due to Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries, rather than the war in Iran, which would pin responsibility on him.

Experts point to the war in Iran as the bigger cause, but admitting this would contradict his own declaration that "the Strait of Hormuz is open."

President Trump seems to be seeking a breakthrough through the recent diesel deal and the current implementation waiver of the Graham Act, while urging Russia and Ukraine toward an "energy truce."

However, for a Republican Party that passed the law through a bipartisan agreement, it is not only difficult to accept, but it also risks a backlash for taking Russia's side while sidelining allies.

Amid skyrocketing diesel prices and the prolonged war in Iran, the darker the midterm election outlook grows for Republicans, the greater the centrifugal force between the Trump administration and Republicans seeking to distance themselves from it is likely to become.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)