Trump’s America: A Legacy of Unreliability and Betrayal Toward India

In the turbulent theatre of global geopolitics, the United States under President Donald Trump’s second term has once again confirmed an uncomfortable truth: Washington is an unreliable partner for India. Behind the rhetoric of “democracy,” “fairness,” and “partnership” lies a cold, transactional calculus—one that prioritises short-term American gains over the stability and security of even its closest allies.

Trump’s America First agenda is not merely a nationalist slogan—it is a doctrine that trades strategic depth for quick wins. From punitive economic measures that hurt Indian workers to quiet alignments with Pakistan and Bangladesh—both of which are increasingly hostile to India—the pattern is unmistakable. These actions expose the hollowness of U.S. claims that India is a “strategic partner,” revealing them as diplomatic falsehoods. Washington’s conduct speaks louder than its words, and the picture it paints is one of duplicity.

Economic Hostility: Tariffs, Visas, and Strategic Coercion

Economic friction between Washington and New Delhi is nothing new, but Trump has elevated it to a punitive art form.

During his first term, tariffs on Indian steel and aluminium triggered retaliatory measures from India. The 2020 H-1B visa freeze—affecting a workforce where Indians hold nearly 70% of visas—hit the Indian tech sector hard.

In his second term, Trump has doubled down. In August 2025, he imposed a fresh 25% tariff on Indian goods as retaliation for India’s continued oil imports from Russia—pushing effective duties on some exports to 50%. In the same breath, he derided India’s economy as “dead,” an insult that inflamed public opinion and deepened bilateral rifts.

Framed as “fair trade,” these measures are anything but. They seek to coerce India into aligning with U.S. sanctions policy, dismissing India’s strategic autonomy in foreign affairs. The economic damage to Indian exporters and workers is collateral damage in Trump’s zero-sum worldview.

Pakistan, Crypto, and Quiet Compromises

Perhaps more troubling is Trump’s tacit tilt towards Pakistan—seemingly lubricated by personal financial entanglements.

In May 2025, Pakistan announced a partnership with World Liberty Financial (WLF), a cryptocurrency firm 60% owned by Trump’s family, integrating blockchain into its national financial infrastructure. The deal came amid Pakistan’s economic crisis and has raised red flags in the U.S. Senate over conflicts of interest.

Within months, Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir visited Washington, dining with Trump and issuing an unprecedented nuclear threat against India—openly stating that Pakistan would “take half the world down” if provoked, including attacks on Indus River infrastructure.

The White House response? Silence. No condemnation. No caution. For India, it is a stark signal: personal gain can easily override the U.S.’s supposed commitment to South Asian stability.

Normalising Extremists and Exploiting Resources

Trump’s foreign policy has blurred the moral red lines that once underpinned U.S. diplomacy.

In Syria, following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Trump’s administration delisted Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—a former al-Qaeda affiliate—and recognised its leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, as head of the “new government.” This diplomatic rehabilitation of a terrorist-turned-politician was justified as a step toward “reconstruction aid,” but in reality mirrors a long history of U.S. alliances with morally compromised regimes for short-term gain.

Meanwhile, Trump has intensified resource-driven diplomacy. In Ukraine, military and economic aid has been quietly tied to rare earth mineral rights, despite the country’s limited reserves. In Myanmar, U.S. teams have conducted exploratory missions in rebel-held areas, softening sanctions on the junta in return for access to rare earth deposits—moves that undermine India’s Act East policy and embolden insurgent factions along its borders.

Selective Aggression: BRICS Pressure, China Leniency

Trump’s “tough on China” branding has dissolved into selective accommodation. In 2025, his administration extended tariff pauses and sought trade concessions from Beijing, while escalating economic threats against BRICS nations for pursuing de-dollarisation.

India, as a founding BRICS member, has found itself targeted by the same Washington that downplays Chinese infractions.

The bias was laid bare on August 11, 2025, when the U.S. formally designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization—just days after Munir’s visit. The designation bolsters Islamabad’s narrative that Baloch separatists are Indian proxies, despite no conclusive evidence, and silences legitimate grievances over decades of repression in Balochistan.

Encroaching on India’s Strategic Backyard

U.S. manoeuvres in South Asia increasingly undermine India’s security calculus.

In Bangladesh, following Sheikh Hasina’s 2024 ouster, Washington has cultivated ties with the Yunus-led interim government and backed a UN “aid corridor” from Cox’s Bazar to Myanmar’s Rakhine state for Rohingya repatriation. Indian intelligence sources warn that this could mask plans for a U.S. surveillance foothold on St. Martin’s Island, giving Washington a forward position to monitor Chinese naval routes—at the expense of Bangladesh’s sovereignty and India’s maritime leverage.

In Myanmar, the U.S. has engaged directly with the Arakan Army and Kachin Independence Army, insurgent groups controlling rare earth-rich territories, further destabilising India’s eastern periphery.

Taken together, U.S. support for both Pakistan and Bangladesh—nations that are increasingly aligned in ways detrimental to India—creates a dangerous two-front security challenge. By backing these governments, either through economic deals or strategic positioning, Washington directly undermines India’s national security. The reality is clear: America’s actions contradict its statements. The repeated claim that India is a “strategic partner” is not just misleading—it is a calculated lie.

The Strategic Lesson for India

From Iraq to Libya, from propping up military juntas to legitimising extremists, the U.S. has a long track record of sacrificing morality for material gain. Trump’s second term strips away the diplomatic varnish and lays bare the transactional reality.

For India, the consequences are concrete:

  • Economic injury through tariffs and visa restrictions

  • Strategic risk from Pakistan’s emboldenment

  • Regional instability from U.S.-aligned Bangladesh and Myanmar policies

  • Erosion of diplomatic space in multilateral forums like BRICS

The strategic takeaway is as urgent as it is clear: India must hedge against American unreliability. This means deepening economic and defence ties with trusted partners, fortifying BRICS cooperation, and asserting a policy of non-alignment that resists coercion from any quarter.

The myth of U.S. objectivity is dead. In Trump’s America, every alliance is conditional, every partnership is for sale, and every promise has an expiry date.

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