Republican lawmakers blasted President Donald Trump for waiving new tariffs and sanctions on Russia, prompting the president to defend himself against members of his own party. GOP critics said Trump’s decision trampled on the will of Congress, which overwhelmingly passed a sanctions law last month championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, and would aide Moscow’s war effort against Ukraine.

Also this weekend, France is grappling with the aftermath of a weekend of widespread protests that descended into clashes between police and demonstrators and sparked some of the worst street violence the country has seen in years, with looting and landmarks set on fire. The demonstrations drew more than half a million people to cities across the country on Saturday, but what started out as peaceful processions to complain about poor conditions in classrooms and hospitals and cost of living concerns soon deteriorated. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that more than 2,000 people nationwide had been arrested, including 855 in Paris.

On today's show, Bloomberg This Weekend hosts David Gura, Christina Ruffini, and Lisa Mateo speak with:

- Jeff Mason, Bloomberg News White House Correspondent, on President Trump facing backlash from the GOP over his Russia sanctions.

- Bloomberg News Reporter Gaspard Sebag on the French protests over cost of living that have descended into violence.

- Scott Detrow, Host of NPR's “All Things Considered” and author of “American Pope,” on how Pope Leo's years in Peru shaped his leadership.

- Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler's Senior Features Editor, on what nearly 800,000 reader votes reveal about travelers' favorite cities.

Plus, David, Christina, and Lisa Mateo share the stories they've 'Bookmarked' this week.

For more conversations like this, watch and listen to Bloomberg This Weekend live on Saturdays and Sundays from 7AM-10AM ET. Watch on Bloomberg Television, listen on Bloomberg Radio and stream the show live on the Bloomberg Business app and Bloomberg.com/video.

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