US President Donald Trump has openly questioned the United States’ decision to allocate $21 million for voter turnout efforts in India, drawing comparisons to concerns over foreign interference in American elections. Speaking at the FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami on Wednesday, Trump suggested the funding may have been intended to influence India’s elections.
“Why do we need to spend $21 million for voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected,” Trump remarked. He contrasted this with past concerns over Russia’s alleged interference in US elections, stating, “When we heard that Russia spent about $2,000 on internet ads, it was a big deal. This is a total breakthrough.”
While acknowledging his respect for India and its Prime Minister, Trump questioned the necessity of spending millions on voter turnout in a foreign country, especially when the US had already allocated $500 million domestically for similar efforts.
Trump also criticized India’s high tariffs on American goods, arguing that the country is financially strong and does not need US assistance. “They got a lot of money. They’re 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.”
Criticism of US Spending in Ukraine
During his speech, Trump also took aim at US financial support for Ukraine, calling the ongoing war “unwinnable” and accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of mismanaging American aid.
He claimed that the US had spent $200 billion more than Europe on the war effort, with “no returns”, adding, “Europe’s money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back.”
In a Truth Social post, Trump went further, accusing Zelenskyy of corruption and refusing to hold elections in Ukraine. “On top of this, Zelenskyy admits that half of the money we sent him is ‘MISSING.’ He refuses to have elections, is very low in Ukrainian polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden ‘like a fiddle.’ A dictator without elections—Zelenskyy better move fast, or he is not going to have a country left.”
Trump’s remarks signal a renewed focus on US spending abroad, with questions likely to arise over future allocations to both foreign election initiatives and military aid to Ukraine.