US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has claimed that the Biden administration allocated $18 million (£14.2m) in funding to India to help with its elections and added that the country doesn’t need such funds.
His remarks came during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last Saturday (22), when he repeatedly attacked the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for allocating $21m (£16.5m) in funding to India for “voter turnout”.
Trump also accused India of taking advantage of the US. “As much as $18m for helping India with its elections. Why the hell? Why don’t we just go to old paper ballots, and let them help us with their elections, right? Voter ID. Wouldn’t that be nice? We’re giving money to India for elections. They don’t need money,” he said.
“They take advantage of us pretty good. One of the highest tariff nations in the world...We have a 200 per cent (tariffs) there and then we’re giving them a lot of money to help them with their election,” the president added.
Trump also criticised the USAID for giving $29m (£22.8m) to Bangladesh. “Around $29m goes to strengthen the political landscape and help them out so that they can vote for a radical left communist in Bangladesh,” he said, without naming anyone.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that USAID under the previous administration led by Joe Biden allocated $21m in funding to India for “voter turnout”, sparking a row in the country over the assistance. India’s foreign minister, S Jaishankar, said last Saturday (22) said the claims by the Trump administration were “concerning” and said the Indian government is looking into it.
At an event in New Delhi, he said the USAID was allowed in India “in good faith, to do good faith activities”, and added that suggestions are being made in the US that “there are activities which are in bad faith”.
“So, it surely warrants a look. And, if there is something to it, I think the country should know who are the people involved in the bad faith activities,” Jaishankar said.
At a Republican Governors Association meeting last Thursday (20), Trump claimed that the $21m funding to India for ‘voter turnout’ was a “kickback” scheme. Trump raised similar concerns last Thursday and Wednesday, days after his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk claimed that USAID contributed $21 million to the Election Commission to boost voter turnout in India as he listed items on which the “US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent.” On February 16, DOGE also noted that all of the items had been cancelled.
First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2024 Democratic National ConventionGetty