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Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said first lady Melania Trump could play a critical role in winning the White House’s support for congressional sanctions on Russia.
"I think the first lady is our secret weapon," Blumenthal said Tuesday.
The remark comes as lawmakers weigh whether to advance a Russia sanctions bill that has been in the works for months. The measure enjoys wide bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress, but its future remains uncertain as President Donald Trump recently signaled hesitations about putting his weight behind it.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk after arriving on Marine One at Stansted Airport in Stansted, England, Sept. 18, 2025. (Evan Vucci/AP)
The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 has 84 cosponsors in the Senate and 113 in the House of Representatives.
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If passed, the sanctions package would grant the President of the United States enhanced powers to block energy sales, block visas, halt investment listings, impose tariffs of up to 500%, and more. Those measures are conditioned on the president's determination that Russia isn’t engaging in good-faith efforts to end the war.
Blumenthal, a coauthor of the legislation alongside Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., believes the moment is ripe to advance the package — even as Trump last week told reporters that "it might not be perfect timing" for new sanctions.
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Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is seen in the Russell subway before a vote in February 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call)
Blumenthal believes the first lady could change the president's outlook.
"She is obviously deeply disturbed about the kidnapping of children, which is emblematic of war criminality. I see the need to move our bill as a signal to prove that you can’t slow-walk us and mock us indefinitely," Blumenthal said.
Melania Trump announced earlier this month that she had engaged in direct communications with Russian President Vladimir Putin over efforts to reunite Ukrainian children that had been abducted amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Through those efforts, she helped secure the return of eight Ukrainian children.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., speaks to reporters, July 2024. (Kevin Mohatt/Reuters)
"Putin understands only strength and force, military and economic. I’m very hopeful [Trump] will see the urgency of now," Blumenthal said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told audiences last week that he may bring the bill to a vote in the next 30 days but hinted that parts of the bill may need revision before its consideration.
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He did not lay out what areas of the bill need to be addressed.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.
