Trump Slams $21M USAID Grant for India, Questions U.S. Priorities

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday once again criticized the now-canceled $21 million USAID fund for voter turnout efforts in India, questioning why American taxpayers were funding elections abroad.

“$21 million going to my friend Prime Minister Modi in India for voter turnout. Why are we giving $21 million for voter turnout in India? What about us? I want voter turnout too, Governor… And $29 million to strengthen the political landscape in Bangladesh went to a firm nobody has ever heard of,” Trump said in a video shared by National Desk.

This marks Trump’s third consecutive remark on the controversy.

On Friday, he escalated his criticism, calling the fund a potential “kickback scheme.” “$21 million for voter turnout in India? Why are we caring about India’s turnout? We’ve got enough problems. We need our turnout. In many of these cases, when you have no idea what’s going on, that means there’s a kickback,” he alleged.

A day earlier, Trump suggested the funding could have influenced India’s elections. “Why are we spending $21 million for voter turnout in India? Were they trying to get someone else elected? We need to ask the Indian government. Meanwhile, when Russia supposedly spent just $2,000 on internet ads in our elections, it was a huge scandal. This is a major revelation,” he said during an event in Florida.

India’s Response

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal acknowledged Trump’s statements, saying, “Relevant departments and authorities are looking into the information put out by the U.S. administration regarding certain activities and funding. These reports are deeply troubling.”