Trump Risks Becoming ‘The President Who Lost India,’ Warns US Lawmaker
Washington, DC: United States Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove issued a stark warning about the current tenor of India-US relations, questioning whether President Donald Trump risks becoming the “president who lost India” amid rising tensions over tariffs, visa fees and political grievances. These remarks were made at the congressional hearing on US-India Strategic Partnership.
Drawing on this concern, Kamlager-Dove underlined India’s central role in sectors vital to the United States, including defence, energy, artificial intelligence, space and advanced technologies. “The United States’ relationship with India will determine for both countries how we position ourselves in the 21st century world order,” he said. He added that working through the Quad “helps preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
He then linked these strategic priorities to what he described as a sharp decline in goodwill. Kamlager-Dove argued that President Trump inherited a partnership marked by an energetic Quad, growing defense technology cooperation, coordinated supply chain efforts and strong political momentum, but has since weakened it. “Flush, flush, flush — we flushed the toilet,” he said, framing the change as driven by personal grievances rather than national interest.
His warning grew deeper as Trump said he risks becoming a president who “loses India” or alienates India even as he signals openness to Russia. He accused him of eroding trust through trade policies and of being preoccupied with, in his words, winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
He pointed out that tariffs and visa measures are the most obvious sources of tension. Kamlager-Dove stated that the 50 percent customs duty on Indian goods and the 25 percent on Indian-related Russian oil imports halted high-level interaction and contributed to the postponement of the Quad Leaders Summit.
She also criticized the administration’s new USD 100,000 fee on H-1B visas, observing that Indians hold 70 per cent of these visas and saying the change directly harms workers who have long supported US innovation across technology, science and medicine.
Linking these policy actions to broader regional implications, Kamlager-Dove said they increase uncertainty across Asia. He argued that tariff increases and canceled summits send disturbing signals at a time when China is closely monitoring regional dynamics.
He added that the approach amounted to cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face and amounted to “real and lasting damage” to trust between Washington and New Delhi.
