Donald Trump has publicly criticised the Biden administration’s allocation of $21 million to support voter turnout initiatives in India, questioning the necessity of such funding. Speaking at the FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami, he remarked, “Why do we need to spend $21 million on voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected”. Trump emphasised that this expenditure seemed excessive, especially considering India’s strong economy and high tariffs on U.S. goods, stating, “They got a lot of money. They’re one of the highest taxing countries in the world”.
His comments came shortly after the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, revealed that this funding was part of a broader list of cancelled expenditures aimed at reducing wasteful spending. Trump drew a comparison between this initiative and allegations of foreign interference in U.S. elections, particularly referencing Russia’s alleged spending during the 2016 election, which was minimal by comparison. Highlighting the disparity in reactions, he stated, “21 million dollars in voter turnout – why do we need to spend 21 million for voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian Government… Because when we hear that Russia spent about two thousand dollars in our country, it was a big
He expressed respect for India and its Prime Minister Narendra Modi but questioned why taxpayer dollars were being used for voter turnout abroad when similar efforts had already been funded domestically. Trump said, “I have a lot of respect for India. I have a lot of respect for the prime minister. He just left, as you know, two days ago. But we’re giving USD 21 million for voter turnout. It’s voter turnout in India. What about, like, voter turnout here? Oh, we’ve done that, I guess. We did USD 500 million, didn’t we? It’s called the lockboxes.” Trump further pointed out India’s strong economic position and high tariffs on US goods, stating, “They got a lot of money. They’re one of the highest taxing countries
