‘Trump will crush your economy’: US Senator Lindsey Graham warns India, China, Brazil over Russian oil

“Trump is going to impose tariffs on people that buy Russian oil, China, India, and Brazil,” Graham said during a Fox News interview.

In a hard-hitting message aimed at America’s global trading partners, US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has declared that US President Donald Trump will impose 100 percent tariffs on countries continuing to import oil from Russia, specifically naming China, India, and Brazil.

“Trump is going to impose tariffs on people that buy Russian oil, China, India, and Brazil,” Graham said during a Fox News interview.

These three countries purchase nearly 80 percent of Russia’s discounted crude, which, Graham argues, is directly helping to fund President Vladimir Putin’s war machine.

Graham added that the move is intended to choke off the financial support enabling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and that Trump's administration is done playing nice.

“The game has changed when it comes to you, President Putin. You have played President Trump at your own peril. You made a major league mistake and your economy is going to continue to be crushed,” Graham warned.

“Here's what I would tell China, India and Brazil: If you keep buying cheap Russian oil to allow this war to continue, we’re going to tear up the hell out of you and we’re going to crush your economy, because what you’re doing is blood money.”

The fiery remarks are seen as a signal of Trump’s hardline posture in his second term. Graham even likened the former president to golf champ Scottie Scheffler, saying, “Trump is the Scottie Scheffler of American politics and foreign diplomacy, and he’s about to put a whooping on your ass.”

Global economies face pressure

The warning comes as India and China remain two of the biggest buyers of Russian oil, often at discounted rates due to sanctions from the West. Brazil, while a smaller consumer, has also maintained trade ties with Moscow amid the war.

While no official announcement has been made by the White House, Graham’s statements are being viewed as a preview of the Trump administration’s next big foreign policy escalation, one that could have real economic implications for some of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

More weapons for Ukraine, pressure on Iran

Graham also confirmed that U.S. weapons will continue flowing to Ukraine to fight off Russian aggression. He added that Trump’s earlier support for Israeli strikes on Iran had significantly weakened Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure, calling the Ayatollah a “religious Nazi.”