Donald Trump sacrificed India ties for family deal in Pakistan, says former NSA Jake Sullivan

Jake Sullivan (AFP)

Amid the tariff turbulence between India and the US, former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has hit out at Donald Trump for sabotaging relationship with New Delhi. Sullivan made the remarks during the The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller, where he spoke extensively about how the brand US has taken a hit due to the tariff policies. He said that these days, China is emerging as a responsible global player whereas ‘brand US is now in toilet.’

In another interview with MeidasTouch YouTube channel, Sullivan said that steep tariffs imposed on India has forced the country to ‘sit with China.’ He also said that for his personal gains, the Republican President has ruined ties with India. Talking about the recent episodes of Islamabad getting closer to Washington, the former NSA in Joe Biden administration said, “I think because of Pakistan's willingness to do business deals with the Trump family, he has thrown the India relationship over the side. That is a huge strategic harm in its own right because a strong US-India relationship serves our interests.”

Back in April, Pakistan signed a pact with World Liberty Financial, in which the Trump family holds over 60 percent stakes. Just a week after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, World Liberty Financial entered into an agreement with the Shehbaz Sharif administration to ostensibly promote blockchain technology. According to Sullivan, this development is at the core of Trump’s decision to distance himself from India and align with Pakistan.

Sullivan also said that what the US has done to India has also impacted how countries like Japan and Germany view Washington. “Germany or Japan will look at India and say that could be us tomorrow. America’s friends will think that they can’t rely on us in any way,” Sullivan added.

He said that this has led to most nations thinking that the US is not a reliable partner anymore. Trump reintroduced his tariff policy in the second term with much force in April this year. The levies have introduced high volatility in the global market with many saying that this policy is not only detrimental for the nations concerned but for the US consumers as well. The US Fed Chair has admitted that the tariffs have impacted the consumer prices of major commodities in the country.