'Tantrum': Democrats In US House Foreign Affairs Panel Back India Ties, Call Out Trump Tariffs

Last Updated:August 08, 2025, 10:37 IST

Voices have grown in the Republican and Democratic parties in the US over Trump's decision to impose 50% tariffs on India.

India-US tensions: Republicans and Democrats fear strained ties over tariffs (Reuters Image)

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee, which oversees America’s foreign policy and international relations, has come out in support of India and questioned President Donald Trump’s continued tirade over New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil.

The Foreign Affairs Committee in the US House of Representatives has called out Trump’s “tariff tantrum" while noting that it risks the years of “careful work" that were put in to improve ties between the two nations.

Trump’s announcement of 50% tariffs on Indian imports has also brought traditional rivals – Republicans and Democrats – on the same page, as various leaders from both parties expressed concerns over his move that they feared could potentially push New Delhi towards Beijing and jeopardise Washington’s strong ties with the rising Asian economy.

While the Republican leaders highlighted that India is the “world player" of the future, Democrats reminded the President of the years of hard work put in to build stronger India-US ties.

This comes after Trump, on August 6, announced an additional 25% tariffs on Indian imports – besides the 25% levies announced on August 4. This prompted a strong response from New Delhi, which termed the tariffs as “unjustified" and “extremely unfortunate".

Trump has also indicated that trade negotiations with India will be put on hold until the issue of New Delhi’s energy purchase from Moscow is “resolved", in yet another move against India.

Republicans On Trump’s India Tariffs

One of the most prominent voices within Trump’s Republican Party was that of Nikki Haley, who pointed out that while tariffs have been imposed on India for Russian oil purchases, China has been given a 90-day tariff pause. She also urged Trump not to “burn" the relationship with India.

“India should not be buying oil from Russia. But China, an adversary and the number one buyer of Russian and Iranian oil, got a 90-day tariff pause. Don’t give China a pass and burn a relationship with a strong ally like India," she said on X.

Former Republican Governor of the State of New Hampshire, Chris Sununu, told CNBC that tariffs on India have scared the American manufacturers the most. He advised Trump not to alienate the strongest ally of the United States in the region.

“Tariffs on India are scaring American manufacturers the most. India is going to be a world player in the future. If you’re dealing with others, then don’t alienate your strongest ally India," he said.

Democrats React To Trump’s Tariffs On India

Gregory Meeks, a Democratic representative from New York since 1998, cited the “deep" ties between the two countries and asked the Trump administration to address its concerns in a “mutually respectful way".

“Trump’s latest tariff tantrum risks years of careful work to build a stronger US-India partnership. We have deep strategic, economic, and people-to-people ties. Concerns should be addressed in a mutually respectful way consistent with our democratic values," House Foreign Affairs Committee Dems quoted Meeks as saying.

Michael McFaul, a Democratic leader who is a former US Ambassador to Russia and Professor at Stanford University, questioned Trump’s decision to slap 25% additional tariffs on India and not do the same with China, which imports the same in greater quantity than its Asian competitor.

“Why Trump is imposing a 25% tariff on Indian goods because India imports Russian oil but NOT doing the same to Chinese goods even though China imports more Russia oil demands an explanation. Can someone ask somebody in the Trump administration for an explanation?" he asked on X.

Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

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