'They take advantage of us': Trump ramps up attack over USAID funds to India

US President Donald Trump. (File photo/Reuters)

US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a fresh attack on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for allegedly granting funds to interfere in India's election process.

Trump questioned why the US was providing aid to India, alleging that the country already benefits from high tariffs imposed on American goods.

"Eighteen million dollars 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," President Trump said while addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington.

#WATCH | Addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, US President Donald Trump says, "$29 million goes to strengthen the political landscape and help them out so that they can vote for a radical left communist in Bangladesh. You got to see who pic.twitter.com/IzgE6NMDiP

ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2025

"They take advantage of us pretty good. One of the highest tariffed nations in the world. We try and sell something. They have a 200 per cent tariff. And then we're giving them a lot of money to help them with their election," President Trump continued.

He used the "eighteen million dollar" figure for the first time as an earlier US government report through the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claimed "USD 21 million" was allocated for "voter turnout" in India.

However, this is the fourth time in five days that the US President has raked up the issue of USAID funding efforts to promote voter turnout in India.

On February 19, Trump questioned the purpose of providing $21 million to India, saying the US "can hardly get in there" because of high tariffs.

The next day, Trump stirred a hornet's nest after he questioned the previous Joe Biden administration's move to give the grant to India and indicated that it might have been used to meddle in elections.

"USD 21 million for voter turnout in India. Why do we need to spend USD 21 million for voter turnout in India? I guess they (the Biden administration) were trying to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian government... This is a total breakthrough," he said.

On Friday, Trump repeated his claim that $21 million was given to India for “voter turnout", contradicting a report that claimed that the funding was actually meant for Bangladesh.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday addressed the concerns raised by President Trump's allegations.

"Some information has been put out there by the Trump administration people, and obviously, that is concerning. I think, as a government, we're looking into it. My sense is that the facts will come out. USAID was allowed here in good faith, to do good faith activities; now, suggestions are being laid out from America that there are activities which are in bad faith. It's worrisome, and if there's something to it, then the country should know who the people are involved in it," Jaishankar said.

Donald Trump On USAID

Donald Trump also referred to USAID as a “left-wing scam". During his speech at CPAC on Saturday, he said, “The agency’s name has been removed from its former building and that space will now house agents from Customs and Border Patrol."

This came as a federal judge allowed Trump to move forward with pulling thousands of USAID staffers off the job in the US and around the world. US District rejected pleas to keep his temporary stay on the government’s plan to remove all but a small fraction of USAID staffers from their posts.