Trump questions $21 million US funding for voter turnout in India
US President Donald Trump has backed the decision to cancel a $21 million grant meant for voter turnout efforts in India, questioning why such funds were allocated to a country with substantial financial resources.
Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump criticized the funding, stating, “Why are we giving $21 million to India? They got 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? In India? What about voter turnout here?”
The controversy emerged after the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, announced on February 16 that the grant had been revoked. In a post on X, DOGE detailed several international aid programs deemed excessive, with the India voter turnout initiative being among the largest.
The department also highlighted the cancellation of other foreign assistance programs, including $29 million for “strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh” and $39 million for “fiscal federalism” and “biodiversity conservation” in Nepal.
In India, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticized the grant’s cancellation, calling it “external interference” in the country’s electoral process. BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya questioned the original funding decision, stating, “Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!”
Malviya linked the funding initiative to alleged foreign influence on Indian institutions, particularly referencing billionaire investor George Soros. He claimed that Soros’s organizations had played a role in past foreign-funded electoral initiatives, such as a 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Election Commission of India and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), an organization affiliated with Soros’s Open Society Foundation.
“Once again, it is George Soros, a known associate of the Congress party and the Gandhis, whose shadow looms over our electoral process,” Malviya alleged.
He further accused the previous Congress-led government of enabling foreign interference in India’s electoral system, calling it part of a broader effort to undermine national interests.
