Billionaire Elon Musk pushed back indirectly against criticism on Sunday after former Trump aide Peter Navarro attacked his platform X for fact-checking an anti-India post.
“On this platform, the people decide the narrative. You hear all sides of an argument. Community Notes corrects everyone, no exceptions. Notes, data, and code is public source. Grok provides further fact-checking,” Musk wrote in a post.
He did not name Navarro, but his comments came hours after the Trump ally accused Musk of allowing “propaganda” into people’s posts.
Navarro’s anti-India post gets flagged
Navarro, who has repeatedly criticised India’s trade policies and ties with Russia, claimed New Delhi was 'profiteering' from buying Russian oil and fueling Moscow’s war machine.
The post was quickly flagged by Community Notes. Contributors pointed out that India’s oil purchases are made for 'energy security' and 'do not violate sanctions'. They also highlighted that:
The US itself continues to import Russian commodities, such as uranium.
Washington maintains a trade surplus with India in services.
Calling India’s oil purchases profiteering was a 'hypocritical' argument.
Another note added: “India’s sovereign, legal oil imports do not violate international law.”
Navarro lashes out at Musk
Unhappy with being fact-checked, Navarro dismissed the correction as a 'crap note'.
“Wow. @elonmusk is letting propaganda into people’s posts. That crap note below is just that. Crap. India buys Russian oil solely to profiteer… Indian govt spin machine moving high tilt. Stop killing Ukrainians. Stop taking American jobs,” Navarro posted.
This exchange came against the backdrop of Trump’s fresh tariffs on Indian exports, which now stand above 50 percent, the highest imposed on any country apart from Brazil.
Tariffs strain ties as rhetoric heats up
Navarro has previously blamed India for 'funding Moscow’s aggression' and even labelled the Ukraine conflict 'Modi’s war'. He also referred to India as a 'laundromat for the Kremlin' and made casteist remarks while attacking New Delhi.
Tensions have escalated since Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports on August 27, bringing the total levy to 50 per cent. The move has further strained relations between the two democracies.
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen sharing warm exchanges with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, a signal of solidarity amid friction with Washington.
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