Former President Donald Trump has voiced concerns over the United States’ financial assistance to India, questioning the rationale behind providing $21 million in aid. The remarks were made in the context of defending Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts to cut government spending.
Trump, while expressing respect for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, argued that India is a wealthy nation, and that it should be among the top tax-paying nations in the world. “They have a lot of money,” Trump stated, suggesting that the US receives little in return due to high Indian tax rates. He then queried the purpose of allocating $21 million to India for voter turnout efforts.
The comments follow DOGE’s recent decision to eliminate $273 million in foreign aid, including $20 million earmarked for India and $29 million for programs aimed at stabilizing the political landscape in Bangladesh.
Trump’s statement echoes earlier criticism from Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council within Modi’s cabinet, who labeled the US Agency for International Development (USAID) program as “the biggest fraud in human history” following DOGE’s decision to halt aid to India.
