New Russian Sanctions Target Trump’s Enemies

Russia banned another 500 Americans from entering the country in response to the United States’ recent sanctions. Several notable critics of former President Donald Trump appear on the list, even though they have no connections to Russian policy.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed 300 sanctions aimed at Russia’s military-industrial supply chains and future energy revenues on May 19. The “unprecedented” sanctions seek to hold Russia accountable for its war in Ukraine. Quickly responding to the sanctions, Russia’s Foreign Ministry released the list of 500 Americans banned from entering the country on the same day.

The list includes several critics of Trump. Letitia James, the state attorney general of New York who sued Trump and his company for alleged fraud, appears on the list. Jack Smith, the Justice Department special counsel who is investigating Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election, and Brad Raffensperger, the Georgie Secretary of State who rejected Trump’s desire to “find” more votes in 2020, also made the list.

Trump’s relationship to President Vladimir Putin of Russia has been a topic of much controversy since the 2016 election. Recently, Trump praised Putin as “top of the line” in an interview with now-former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in an April interview.

Russia’s sanctions are the latest evidence of the strong – and yet unexplained – Trump-Putin relationship.