United States President Donald Trump has once again questioned the country’s allocation of USD 21 million to support voter turnout efforts in India, drawing comparisons with concerns over 'foreign interference' in American elections.
Addressing the FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami, Florida, Trump remarked, "21 million dollars in voter turnout - why do we need to spend 21 million for voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected. 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."
The US President also criticised India’s economic policies, particularly its high tariffs on American goods, stating, "They got a lot of money. They're 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."
While maintaining his admiration for India and its leadership, Trump questioned the necessity of such a substantial expenditure on voter mobilisation overseas.
"I have a lot of respect for India. I have a lot of respect for the prime minister. He just left, as you know, two days ago. But we're giving USD 21 million for voter turnout. It's voter turnout in India. What about, like, voter turnout here? Oh, we've done that, I guess. We did USD 500 million, didn't we? It's called the lockboxes," he added.
Criticism of Ukraine policy
Turning his attention to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Trump criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of persuading the United States to invest billions in what he described as an "unwinnable war."
He asserted that the United States had shouldered a disproportionate financial burden compared to European nations, with no returns on the investment.
"The United States has spent USD 200 billion dollars more than Europe, and Europe's money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back," Trump said.
In a separate post on Truth Social, Trump intensified his attack on Zelenskyy, alleging poor governance and a refusal to hold elections.
"On top of this, Zelenskyy admits that half of the money we sent him is 'MISSING.' He refuses to have elections, is very low in Ukrainian polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden 'like a fiddle.' A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a country left," Trump wrote.
The remarks come as the US is administering heightened scrutiny on its foreign policy and financial commitments abroad as the President continues to position himself as a vocal critic of overseas expenditure.
Also read: Trump calls Zelensky a 'dictator,' blames Kyiv for war start
Follow us
