US President Donald Trump’s relationship with facts has often been tenuous, and his latest claim about the BRICS bloc is no exception. At a White House meeting with Argentinian President Javier Milei, Trump declared that countries were “dropping out” of BRICS because of his tariff threats. He even boasted that his policies had forced the grouping’s collapse, calling it “an attack on the dollar.”
The reality, however, tells a very different story. Far from falling apart, BRICS has been expanding, with new members joining and several others lining up to be part of the bloc. Experts and officials across the world have since rejected Trump’s claim as baseless, pointing out that the grouping continues to gain strength and global relevance.
Trump’s remark and its context
While hosting Argentinian President Javier Milei at the White House, Trump once again defended his tariff policies, claiming they had successfully weakened BRICS. “I told anybody who wants to be in BRICS, that’s fine, but we’re going to put tariffs on your nation. Everybody dropped out. They’re all dropping out of BRICS,” he said. Trump went on to assert that his actions had preserved the strength of the US dollar. “I’m very strong on the dollar, and anybody that wants to deal in dollars, they have an advantage over people that aren’t… BRICS was an attack on the dollar, and I said, ‘You want to play that game, I’m going to put tariffs on all of your products coming into the US.’ They said, like I said, we’re dropping out of BRICS… They don’t even talk about it anymore.”
The statement quickly drew attention worldwide, not because it reflected reality, but because it so clearly contradicted it.
A growing bloc, not a shrinking one
Contrary to Trump’s assertion, no BRICS member has dropped out of the grouping. In fact, the bloc has only expanded in recent years. Formed in 2009 by Russia, India, China and Brazil as an informal coalition challenging Western dominance, it became BRICS in 2010 when South Africa joined.
In 2023, the group invited six additional countries -- Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- to join. By early 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE had formally entered the bloc. Argentina declined after President Milei took office, choosing closer ties with the West, while Saudi Arabia has delayed its decision as it balances its relationships with major powers.
Far from shrinking, BRICS has become a magnet for new interest. Countries such as Algeria, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Turkey, and Vietnam have all expressed a desire to join. Indonesia officially became a full member in early 2024, while 10 others became BRICS partner nations.
Russia, India and analysts call out Trump’s falsehood
The Kremlin was among the first to refute Trump’s claim. Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told RT News that he had “no information” indicating that any member or prospective member was reconsidering its BRICS participation. He stressed that the bloc “has never planned anything against any third country or any third-country currency,” adding that its cooperation is based on “partnership, prosperity and predictability.”
Former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal also dismissed Trump’s remarks. “Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the UAE are members of BRICS. No one has dropped out,” he wrote on X. He further warned that Trump’s overuse of tariffs as a diplomatic tool would backfire, saying, “The more Trump uses the tariff weapon arbitrarily as an all purpose one the more it will get devalued over time. Other countries will gradually lessen their dependence on the US market and the US $.”
Dr Raj Kumar Sharma, a senior research fellow at the New Delhi-based think tank NatStrat, told Sputnik News that “no one is abandoning the BRICS grouping.” He added, “In fact, the Global South countries are looking at BRICS in order to hedge against the unpredictable policies of the current US administration.”
Trump’s longstanding grievance with BRICS
Trump’s claim is not an isolated remark but part of a broader narrative he has built against the BRICS bloc. Even before returning to office, he accused its members of trying to undermine the US dollar by promoting alternative currencies. In July, he warned that BRICS countries would face 10 percent tariffs for “hurting” the United States. “They will certainly have to pay 10 per cent if they are in BRICS because BRICS was set up to hurt us, to degenerate our dollar,” he said during a Cabinet meeting.
His senior trade adviser, Peter Navarro, also attacked the bloc, calling BRICS members “vampires” in early September. These repeated statements reveal the Trump administration’s deep unease with BRICS’ growing influence as it seeks to build a non-Western financial and diplomatic alternative.
Why Trump’s claim falls apart
Trump’s assertion that countries are “dropping out” of BRICS is factually incorrect. The only nation to step back from joining was Argentina, and that decision was made months before his latest comments. Meanwhile, the bloc has expanded to include 10 members and is now a powerful voice for the Global South.
The data, the diplomatic statements, and the ongoing interest from dozens of countries all point to one reality: BRICS is not crumbling under US tariffs. It is growing in reach and ambition, becoming a key platform for countries looking for economic cooperation beyond Washington’s orbit.
And this is not the first instance of Trump's claim being far from reality. He recently claimed that Tylenol, the brand name for acetaminophen — a common pain reliever — taken during pregnancy could lead to autism. The claim was categorically rejected by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Trump claimed he had ended eight wars since taking office, including the recent India-Pakistan hostilities in May. However, analysts dispute the claim, noting that India described the ceasefire as a mutual decision.
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