Trump's $21 Million To India Claim And The Political Turmoil That Follows
For three day in a row, US President Donald Trump mentioned $21 million funding for ‘voter turnout in India’, which was cancelled by his administration. He questioned why such substantial amount was being spent abroad when similar efforts could be made towards boosting voter turnout in United States.
“Why are we giving $21 million to India? They got a lot more money. They are one of the highest taxing countries in the world in terms of us; we can hardly get in there because their tariffs are so high. I have a lot of respect for India and their Prime Minister, but giving $21 million for voter turnout? In India? What about voter turnout here?”, Trump asked.
“And $21 million going to my friend Prime Minister Modi in India for voter Turnout. We’re giving 21 million for voter turnout in India. What about us? I want voter turnout too”, Trump said.
“We have got to tell the Indian Government. Because when we hear that Russia spent about two thousand dollars in our country, it was a big deal. They took some internet ads for two thousand dollars. This is a total breakthrough”, Trump.
One day after the remark, he said, the alleged funding a kickback scheme and said that nobody has any idea of what is going on there.
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Last week, DOGE (Department of Government Efficiencies), headed by tech giant Elon Musk, published a list of taxpayer-funded programs that have been cut, including the $21 million allocated for India’s voter turnout. Taking to X, DOGE laid out a series of foreign assistance programs deemed excessive or unjustifiable. “US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all of which have been cancelled”, read the post.
The department highlighted that the $21 million was part of a larger $486 million budget allocated to the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening”.
The cancellation, according to DOGE, were part of efforts to improve government efficiency and ensure taxpayer dollars were not being spent on “questionable” overseas political activities.
During his speech, Trump mentioned that the money was potentially used to influence elections, adding that the US should address the Indian government, calling the situation a ‘total breakthrough’. He said India was “trying to get somebody else elected”.
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“Why do we need to spend $21 million on voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian Government… This is a total breakthrough”, Trump said, speaking at the FII Priority Summit in Miami.
The move sparked political controversy in India. The ruling Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said the revelations about USAID funding for certain activities in the country are “deeply troubling” and have led to concerns about foreign interference in its internal affairs.
Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs, said relevant departments and authorities are looking into the information put out by the United States administration regarding certain US activities and funding.
“We have seen information that has been put out by the US administration regarding certain US activities and funding. These are obviously very deeply troubling”, he said.
“This has led to concerns about foreign interference in India’s internal affairs. Relevant departments and agencies are looking into this matter. It would be premature to make a public comment at this stage, so relevant authorities are looking into it and hopefully, we can come up with an update on that subsequently”, he added.
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BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya said , “For the third day in a row, US President Donald Trump reiterated his claim about USAID funding efforts to promote voter turnout in India. But what does he know about his own country’s spending? “.
Congress slammed BJP for claiming that the grand old party took the money. The party has demanded a comprehensive white paper on foreign aid received by Indian entities after former US President Donald Trump’s claim that $21 million in USAID funds was allocated for voter turnout in India. Trump’s remarks.
Congress leader Pawan Khera said “Selectively, they are saying that the Congress government took money from foreign funding agencies. When Smriti Irani was the brand ambassador of USAID and used to protest on the roads, was USAID behind those protests? Social activist Anna Hazare also launched a protest, after which our government lost the elections, and then he went to America and held road shows there. Everyone knows that he used to receive money from the Ford Foundation and RSS was also involved in it”.
The said $21 million is one of several projects across the world funded by the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), an organisation founded in 1995 and funded by USAID.
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Khera accused the BJP of spreading misinformation while ignoring facts. He pointed out that multiple fact-checks, including from The Washington Post, have debunked the claim that USAID funds were directed to India for electoral purposes. According to these reports, the $21 million was allocated to Bangladesh through CEPPS.
Trump’s remarks mentioning the fund interfering in the election in India proved tumultuous. PM Modi led government secured a third term with a reduced majority in Lok Sabha Elections, 2024. The BJP fell short of the halfway mark on its own and formed the government with the support of its NDA allies.
(With inputs from agencies)
