Ro Khanna says US-India ties at 30-year low, blames Trump’s 'destructive policies'

Highlights

• Ro Khanna says US-India ties are at their weakest in 30 years
• He blames Donald Trump’s foreign policy decisions for the decline
• Claims India has lost “a generation of trust” with the US
• Criticises immigration, student visa, and talent policies
• Warns current approach is damaging US global leadership

Congressman Ro Khanna has said that the US-India relationship is at its lowest point in three decades. He blamed what he called “utterly destructive policies” under president Donald Trump for the decline in trust between the two countries.

Speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Leadership Summit in Washington on Monday (29), Khanna said the damage to ties was serious and long-lasting.

“Now, you know I'm not one to mince words. I sort of tell things as they are. The US-India relationship has been at its lowest point in the last 30 years,” Khanna said.

He said that during a recent visit to China, India’s ambassador there told him that “a generation of trust has been lost” because of Trump’s policies.

Khanna also criticised US foreign policy decisions involving Iran and other countries. He said these moves had wider economic and diplomatic consequences, including rising costs and instability.

“Trump's policies of getting into a war with Iran have been utterly destructive. It has been utterly destructive to the prices of gas in India. Talk to (External Affairs Minister S) Jaishankar if you don't believe me,” he said.

The California Democrat also accused Trump of weakening America’s global standing. He pointed to threats involving Iran, Cuba, and even Greenland, saying such positions damage long-term alliances.

“Now you have an America that has forgotten that moral vision, that has a foreign policy of might makes right, threatening not just Iran, threatening Cuba, threatening to conquer Greenland,” he said.

Khanna also raised concerns about immigration and talent policies in the US. He said stricter visa rules and negative messaging around foreign students were harming American innovation.

“The demagoguery about immigrants… with student visas, with the demonisation of talent coming to the United States,” he said.

He added that the US must continue to attract global talent to stay competitive in fields like artificial intelligence. He noted that a large share of top AI researchers in the US are foreign-born or internationally trained.

Khanna described Trump as a “lame duck” and said he believes Democrats will win future elections, including the midterms and the 2028 presidential race.