US Congressman Jonathan Jackson has slammed the Trump administration’s handling of India ties, warning that steep tariffs and poor diplomacy are pushing New Delhi closer to Beijing and Moscow.
“President Trump’s reckless 50 percent tariffs on India are tantamount to a sanction by another name. Instead of strengthening America, these actions have weakened trust, disrupted trade, and pushed India closer to China and Russia. That is a dangerous path and one that hurts our long-term national interests,” Jackson said.
He underscored the importance of the US-India partnership, calling the two nations “natural partners whose destinies are tied to freedom, democracy, and prosperity.”
“The United States is the world’s largest economy and the world’s oldest democracy. India is the world’s largest democracy and the nation with the world’s largest population. Together, our countries are natural partners whose destinies are tied to freedom, democracy, and prosperity,” he said.
Jackson also pointed to the moral bond linking the American civil rights movement and India’s independence struggle.
“Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence inspired the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who in turn inspired movements for justice around the globe. My father, the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, carried forward that same spirit of building bridges and lifting people up. Our nations share a moral connection that cannot be reduced to economics alone,” he said.
Calling for a course correction, Jackson urged the administration to show greater sensitivity in its diplomacy.
“The Secretary should choose his words more carefully and be more respectful so we can improve our bilateral relationship. Strong democracies must talk to one another in ways that build trust, not division,” he added.
Bilateral ties between India and the US have been strained following the imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports. In August, Donald Trump first announced a 25 per cent tariff, later adding another 25 per cent in response to India’s purchase of Russian oil.
India responded by calling the move “unjustified,” accusing the US of singling it out unfairly over its trade with Russia.