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Ro Khanna criticised US President Donald Trump for imposing tariffs on India, calling them harsher than on China and accusing him of undermining decades of US-India ties.
Indian-origin Democrat leader Ro Khanna.
UPDATED: Sep 2, 2025 21:47 IST
Indian-origin Democrat leader Ro Khanna has strongly criticized US President Donald Trump for imposing sweeping tariffs on India, calling them “harsher than those on China.”
In a series of tweets, Khanna accused Trump of jeopardising 30 years of bipartisan efforts to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, suggesting the move is driven by Trump's frustration that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize.
“Trump is destroying 30 years of bipartisan work to build the US-India strategic partnership because Modi refuses to nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize. He imposed higher tariffs of 50% on India than China,” Khanna wrote.
A New York Times report recently mentioned that Trump allegedly asked Prime Minister Modi to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize, after claiming credit for helping ease a military standoff between India and Pakistan. However, the report stated that Modi rebuffed the request, saying the ceasefire had “nothing to do” with US mediation.
Khanna also called on Indian Americans who supported Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris in the past elections to break their silence.
“I am waiting for all those Indian Americans who voted for Trump over Harris — you know who you are — to speak out against Trump sabotaging the partnership with blanket tariffs that are harsher than those on China. Anyone willing to speak up?” he said.
Before Khanna’s remarks, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, also of Indian origin, weighed in, stating that while Trump may have grounds to impose additional tariffs due to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, he should remember that “India is not an adversary like China.”
Indian-American billionaire and venture capitalist Vinod Khosla joined the conversation, stating that he did not vote for Trump but viewed the move as an expression of Trump’s ego.
“I did not vote for Trump but this is only about his ego and wanting Modi to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize (which Pakistan has). If he ever wins the Nobel, I will stop caring about who wins the Nobel. It will be desecrated, dirtbag medal!” Khosla tweeted.
The controversy has reignited debate within the Indian-American community, with Khanna openly pressing MAGA-aligned voters to break their silence and take a stand on Trump’s hardline stance toward India.
- Ends
Published By:
Aashish Vashistha
Published On:
Sep 2, 2025
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