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Former US President Donald Trump has once again raised concerns about the Biden administration’s decision to allocate $21 million to India to promote voter turnout, speculating that the funds might be intended to influence electoral outcomes.
Speaking at a summit in Miami on Thursday, Trump questioned, “Why are we spending $21 million on voter turnout in India? Were they trying to get someone else elected?”
#WATCH | Miami, Florida | Addressing the FII PRIORITY Summit, US President Donald Trump says, “… Why do we need to spend $21 million on voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian Government… This is a total… pic.twitter.com/oxmk6268oW
— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2025
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Disclosure by US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
Trump’s comments follow a disclosure from the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by billionaire Elon Musk, which revealed that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) allocated $21 million to support voter turnout in India.
DOGE, established by Trump to reduce government expenses, listed this expenditure among other international funding projects. The list also included:
$29 million for strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh, which has recently faced political unrest.
$39 million for fiscal federalism and biodiversity conservation in Nepal.
DOGE noted that all these funding commitments had been cancelled as part of its cost-cutting initiative.
Trump’s Criticism of Foreign Aid Spending
At the Miami summit, Trump criticized the spending, stating, “In less than a month, DOGE has saved over $55 billion. We’re just getting started… We’ll boost our economy by drastically shrinking the federal government.”
He also questioned why US taxpayers’ money was being used to support voter turnout in India when domestic electoral issues persist, saying, “Why are we giving $21 million to India? They have plenty of money… What about voter turnout here?”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India responded to DOGE’s disclosure by criticizing the opposition party, Congress, suggesting that the $21 million grant represented “external interference in India’s electoral process.”
BJP leader Amit Malviya stated, “This doesn’t benefit the ruling party (BJP) for sure!” He linked the funding to “systematic infiltration” by foreign entities into Indian institutions.
Malviya also mentioned George Soros, accusing him of influencing Indian politics through his Open Society Foundations, which are allegedly linked to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)—an organization associated with a 2012 MoU signed with the Election Commission of India.
The controversy has sparked debates about international involvement in India’s electoral affairs and the transparency of foreign aid spending.
