Trump again attacks USAID, claims $18 million given to India to help with elections

U.S. President Donald Trump gives remarks during the National Governors Association (NGA) dinner and reception in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on February 22, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Also read | USAID row: Information from U.S. ‘concerning’, government looking into it, says Jaishankar

His remarks during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday (February 22, 2025) after he repeatedly attacked the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for allocating $21 million in funding to India for “voter turnout”. In his speech, Mr. Trump also accused India of taking advantage of the U.S.

“18 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,” he said.

“They take advantage of us pretty good. One of the highest tariff nations in the world…We have a 200 per cent [tariffs] there and then we’re giving them a lot of money to help them with their election,” Mr. Trump said.

Mr. Trump also criticised the USAID for giving $29 million to Bangladesh.

“$29 million goes to strengthen the political landscape and help them out so that they can vote for a radical left communist in Bangladesh,” he said, without naming anyone.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly claimed that USAID under the previous administration led by Joe Biden allocated $21 million in funding to India for “voter turnout”, sparking a row in the country over the assistance.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday (Feb. 22) said the information put out by the Trump administration people is “concerning” and that the government is looking into it.

During an interaction at an event in New Delhi, he also said the USAID was allowed in India “in good faith, to do good faith activities”, and suggestions are being made out of America that “there are activities which are in bad faith”.

“So, it surely warrants a look. And, if there is something to it, I think the country should know who are the people involved in the bad faith activities,” the External Affairs Minister said.

The Congress party on Saturday (Feb. 22) urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “talk to his friend” and strongly refute the allegation.

On Thursday (Feb. 20), at a Republican Governors Association meeting, Mr. Trump claimed that the $21 million funding to India for ‘voter turnout’ was a “kickback” scheme, as he continued to attack the previous Biden administration.

Mr. Trump had raised similar concerns on Thursday (Feb. 20) and Wednesday (Feb. 19), days after his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk claimed that USAID contributed $21 million to the Election Commission to boost voter turnout in India as he listed items on which the “U.S. taxpayer dollars were going to be spent.” On February 16, DOGE also noted that all of the items had been cancelled.