In a significant claim, former U.S. President Donald Trump has alleged potential interference by the previous Biden administration in India’s 2024 general elections, citing a $21 million allocation under USAID for “voter turnout in India.” Speaking at the FII PRIORITY Summit on Wednesday (local time), Trump questioned the necessity of such expenditure and suggested that the funds may have been used to influence election results in favor of another candidate.
“Why do we need to spend $21 million on voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian Government… This is a total breakthrough,” Trump said during his address. His remarks came after Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) revealed that the funds had been allocated as part of USAID, triggering a political uproar in India.
The 2024 Indian general elections saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government return to power, albeit with a reduced majority. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was projected to sweep the Lok Sabha polls, the results on June 4 indicated otherwise. The BJP fell short of the majority mark, securing power with the support of its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies. Meanwhile, the Opposition, contesting under the INDIA bloc, made significant gains but could not dislodge the NDA from power.
Trump’s remarks have further fueled concerns about foreign involvement in India’s electoral process. Notably, DOGE, tasked with investigating irregularities in U.S. humanitarian funding under the Biden administration, has announced the revocation of multiple international aid grants, including the $21 million allocated for voter turnout efforts in India.
On Tuesday, Trump had already questioned the financial aid to India, calling it one of the “highest taxing countries in the world.” He criticized the allocation, stating, “Why are we giving $21 million to India? They have a lot more money. They are one of the highest taxing countries in the world in terms of us; we can hardly get in there because their tariffs are so high. I have a lot of respect for India and their Prime Minister, but giving $21 million for voter turnout?”
Reacting to the USAID revelation, Sanjeev Sanyal, an adviser to PM Modi, termed it the “biggest scam in human history” and demanded transparency on the beneficiaries of the fund. BJP leader Amit Malviya shared Trump’s remarks on social media platform X but refrained from adding any commentary, seemingly endorsing Trump’s statement.
Meanwhile, Mary Millben, an American singer and vocal supporter of PM Modi, echoed Trump’s concerns and suggested that the Biden administration had backed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the elections. “That’s right, President @realDonaldTrump. The previous administration wanted their liberal agenda @RahulGandhi to win. However, not one dollar of that $21 million was effective. My beloved India voted for PM @narendramodi because he is a man of the people, and his vision is truly uplifting the Indian people,” she wrote on X.
The revelations and accusations have added a new dimension to the discourse surrounding India’s general elections and foreign influence in domestic electoral processes.
