Miami: President Donald Trump has again slammed the previous Biden administration over its $21 million “voter turnout” aid to India, questioning why the US needed to spend that amount and whether “they were trying to get somebody else elected”.
The remarks are the latest in a series of actions by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, to cancel USAID funding to various countries, including $21 million to India’s Election Commission for boosting voter turnout.
Speaking at the FII PRIORITY Summit on Wednesday, Trump said, “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 also compared the aid to Russia spending about $ 2,000 on internet advertisements during the 2016 Presidential Elections, which he said, became a big deal.
#WATCH | Miami, Florida | Addressing the FII PRIORITY Summit, US President Donald Trump says, “… 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… pic.twitter.com/oxmk6268oW
— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2025
Ever since coming into power for the second time, Trump has been vocal about high tariffs charged by India on US imports, calling it one of the highest taxing countries in the world and even announcing reciprocal tariffs if that rate is not brought.
While signing executive orders at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, Trump questioned the voter turnout aid, saying, “Why are we giving USD 21 million to India? They have a lot of money. One of the highest taxing countries in the world when it comes to us. We can hardly get in there because their tariffs are so high”.
On the same day, Trump signed several executive orders, including a memorandum mandating “radical transparency regarding wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars by the federal government.”
Despite his criticism, Trump acknowledged his respect for India and its leadership. “I have a lot of respect for India. I have a lot of respect for the Prime Minister,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had visited the White House the previous week.
“But we’re giving USD 21 million for voter turnout. It’s voter turnout in India. What about voter turnout here?” he added.
Just hours before Modi’s bilateral meeting with Trump at the White House on February 13, the US President had also announced reciprocal tariffs.
