Trump Allies Slam Report on Lifting Russian Sanctions, Call It 'Fake Crap'

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are hitting back hard after a Politico article claimed they discussed lifting U.S. sanctions on Russian energy assets. The pair didn’t mince words, labeling the report as "totally fictitious" and, in their own colorful language, "fake crap."

The Politico story, based on anonymous White House sources, suggested that Rubio and Witkoff were weighing the idea of easing sanctions as part of a broader peace push to end the war in Ukraine. According to the article, five unnamed insiders described Witkoff as a main advocate for lifting sanctions, including those on the infamous Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The piece also alleged a rift, with Rubio supposedly trying to block the move in a tug-of-war between energy export hawks and those open to better relations with Russia.

Rubio and Witkoff were quick to call the whole thing bogus in a joint statement released by the White House. "Neither of us have had any conversations about lifting sanctions on Russia as part of a peace deal with Ukraine. This is just totally fictitious and irresponsible reporting from Politico, a fifth-rate publication. If they have an ounce of journalistic integrity, they will fully retract this piece of fiction." Just for the record, not a fan of sugar-coating, apparently.

Witkoff doubled down separately on X, calling the story "embarrassing" and blaming Politico for being hoodwinked by their so-called sources. Donald Trump Jr. threw his hat in, calling it "more bulls---" and blasting Politico for running with what he called pure fake news. Utah Senator Mike Lee cracked wise about defamation insurance, while White House spokesperson Anna Kelly painted Politico as a "C-rated tabloid" suffering from a "TDS epidemic." The back-and-forth certainly had more drama than a Real Housewives reunion.

For context, sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline were first put in place under the Trump administration, lifted briefly by President Biden, then reimposed after Russia invaded Ukraine. The energy sector is absolutely at the heart of peace deal negotiations, with the U.S. reportedly floating ideas from taking control of Ukrainian nuclear plants to inking minerals deals, and even running Ukrainian gas pipelines to help repay American military aid. Clearly, energy is where the real chess game is being played.

Earlier this month, Russia and Ukraine ended a U.S.-brokered truce not to target each other's energy infrastructure. The negotiations have since reached a boiling point, with Vice President JD Vance warning the U.S. might walk away from ceasefire talks if a deal isn’t struck. President Trump himself weighed in on Truth Social, targeting Ukrainian President Zelenskyy for refusing to accept the annexation of Crimea, and urging him to "GET IT DONE."

Despite requests, the White House hasn’t commented on the fracas. Meanwhile, Politico stands by its reporting, so don't expect this media spat to cool down soon. If only the energy powering these denials could be harnessed for Europe’s winter, we’d all be toasty.