Trump risks becoming ‘the President who lost India’, warns US lawmaker Kamlager-Dove

WASHINGTON: United States Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove issued a sharp warning over the current trajectory of India-US relations, questioning whether US President Donald Trump risks becoming “the president who lost India” amid escalating tensions over tariffs, visa fees and political grievances. Her remarks were made during a congressional hearing on the US-India Strategic Partnership.

Building on this concern, Kamlager-Dove underscored India’s central role in sectors vital to the United States, including defence, energy, AI, space and advanced technologies. “The US relationship with India will be defining for both countries in how we place ourselves in the 21st-century world order,” she said. She added that working through the Quad “helps maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific”.

#WATCH | US representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove says, “When Trump took office at the beginning of this year, the Biden administration handed him a bilateral relationship at the height of its strength… These were hard-earned accomplishments and the product of strategic… pic.twitter.com/GcVUTKvIq4

— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2025

She then linked these strategic priorities to what she described as a sharp decline in goodwill. Kamlager-Dove argued that President Trump inherited a partnership marked by an energised Quad, growing defence-technology cooperation, coordinated supply chain efforts and strong political momentum, but has since weakened it. “Flush, flush, flush — flushed down the toilet”, she said, framing the shift as driven by personal grievances rather than national interests.

Her warning deepened as she said Trump risks becoming the president who “lost India” or pushed India away, even while signalling openness toward Russia. She accused him of eroding trust through trade policies and what she characterised as a preoccupation with winning a Nobel Peace Prize.

She pointed to tariffs and visa measures as the clearest sources of strain. Kamlager-Dove noted that a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods and a 25 per cent tariff on India-linked Russian oil imports have stalled high-level engagement, contributing to the postponement of the Quad Leaders Summit.

She also criticised the administration’s new $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.

Connecting these policy actions to wider regional implications, Kamlager-Dove said they are fuelling uncertainty across Asia. She argued that tariff escalations and cancelled summits have sent troubling signals at a moment when China is closely watching regional dynamics.

She added that the approach amounts to cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face, causing “real and lasting damage” to trust between Washington and New Delhi.

#WATCH | Presenting the photo of PM Modi with Russian President Putin during the latter’s recent visit to India, US representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove says, “Trump’s policies towards India can only be described as cutting our nose to spite our face… Being a coercive partner… pic.twitter.com/fHcakd75LA

— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2025

Talking about the famous car selfie of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin said that it spoke a thousand words. Dove said that US President Donald Trump’s coercive policies come with a cost.

“Trump’s policies towards India can only be described as cutting our nose to spite our face… Being a coercive partner has a cost. And this poster is worth a thousand words. You do not get a Nobel Peace Prize by driving US strategic partners into the arms of our adversaries. We must move with incredible urgency to mitigate the damage that this administration has done to the US-India partnership and return to the cooperation that is essential to US prosperity, security, and global leadership,” she said.

These remarks were made at The House Foreign Affairs South and Central Asia Subcommittee’s hearing titled, ‘The US-India Strategic Partnership: Securing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific’.

Talking in the same platform, US Representative Pramila Jayapal raised concerns over trade barriers and immigration policies affecting India-US economic and people-to-people ties.

Jayapal pointed to ongoing tariff challenges impacting both countries, stressing their consequences for businesses and consumers. She said, “We also are facing challenges around tariffs, both here in the United States and in India. These tariffs are damaging India’s economy and also hurting American businesses and consumers.”

#WATCH | United States Representative, Pramila Jayapal, says, “… We also are facing challenges around tariffs, both here in the United States and in India. These tariffs are damaging India’s economy and also hurting American businesses and consumers. Just last week, I heard… pic.twitter.com/zG7ZnwGBu2

— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2025

Her concerns over tariffs came as trade tensions escalated further following comments by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Trump warned of possible new tariffs on India’s rice exports, accusing New Delhi of “dumping” cheap rice into the American market and harming US farmers. His remarks were made during a White House meeting where he also announced a $12 billion aid package for American agricultural producers.

During the meeting, several US farmers complained that low-cost imports from India, Vietnam and Thailand were driving down domestic prices. Responding to these concerns, Trump questioned why additional duties had not been imposed on India and said he would “take care” of the alleged dumping, signalling that fresh tariffs could soon be considered.

These developments came as a US trade delegation was already in India on December 10-11 for negotiations that have struggled to yield substantial progress. The ongoing talks have been weighed down by disagreements over market access and tariff measures, deepening strain in the trade relationship.

The United States had earlier imposed 50 per cent tariffs on most Indian goods in August 2025 amid broader trade disputes and concerns over India’s purchases of Russian oil. Trump’s latest warning has added fresh uncertainty to already difficult negotiations, heightening the risk of further trade friction between the two countries. (ANI)