'Can’t allow Trump’s ego to ..': US Congressman Ro Khanna slams 50% tariff on India

Explaining why Trump had taken such a drastic step, Khanna alleged personal motives were at play.

US Congressman Ro Khanna has strongly criticised President Donald Trump’s decision to impose steep tariffs on Indian goods, warning that the move risks undoing decades of bipartisan efforts to build one of Washington’s most crucial strategic partnerships.

Khanna, co-chair of the US-India Caucus, said the 50 percent tariff slapped on Indian exports was higher than that imposed on China and second only to Brazil, hurting trade in key sectors in India like leather and textiles while also damaging American manufacturers.

“This is driving India closer to China and Russia. We can’t allow the ego of Donald Trump to destroy a strategic relationship with India that is key to ensuring America leads and not China,” Khanna said in a video message on X.

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.

Which Indian Americans who voted for Trump are speaking out? https://t.co/KdBYIUWDMo pic.twitter.com/GNG8aiNOH5

— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) September 2, 2025

Explaining why Trump had taken such a drastic step, Khanna alleged personal motives were at play.

“Now, why is this happening? For very simple reasons. Prime Minister Modi refused to nominate Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. Well, Pakistan did. And India has said that the border dispute with Pakistan is an internal matter, refusing to give Donald Trump credit,” he remarked.

The California Democrat stressed the stakes for Washington.

“We can’t allow the ego of Donald Trump to destroy a strategic relationship with India that is key to ensuring that America leads and not China,” he said.

Appealing directly to the Indian-American community, Khanna asked, “To all those Indian-Americans who voted for Donald Trump, I’m asking you, where are you today while he destroys this relationship?”

Echoing Khanna’s concerns, former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has also alleged that Trump had “thrown away” ties with India because of Pakistan’s willingness to do business with his family.

“The US has worked to build a relationship with India on technology, economics, and strategic threats from China. Now, Germany or Japan will look at this and think, this could be us tomorrow,” Sullivan told MeidasTouch Network.

Notably, the latest criticism comes amid rising concerns in Washington that Trump’s tariff policy and penalties on Russian oil purchases would likely push India to strengthen its ties with Moscow and Beijing.

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent struck a conciliatory note, expressing confidence that the two democracies would resolve their trade differences.

“At the end of the day, India’s values are much closer to ours than to Russia’s or China’s. Two great countries will get this solved,” he told Fox Business, though cautioning that India’s oil trade with Russia had raised concerns.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro also took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling it “a shame” to see the Indian leader meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.

In his SCO address, however, PM Modi underscored India’s focus on boosting connectivity among member nations to strengthen “trade, growth, and trust.”