U.S. President Donald Trump defended his administration’s decision to cut $21 million in USAID funding to India for voter turnout, questioning the necessity of the expenditure. Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago residence on Wednesday, Trump cited India’s strong economy and high tariffs as reasons for the cut.
Trump told reporters while signing executive orders.
Why are we giving $21 million to India? They have a lot more money. They are one of the highest taxing countries in the world in terms of us; we can hardly get in there because their tariffs are so high,
Donald Trump US President
The remarks followed an announcement by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which revealed that USAID funding for India’s voter turnout initiative had been canceled. The cut was part of a broader rollback of foreign aid spending, including - $29 million for “strengthening the political landscape” in Bangladesh, $20 million for “fiscal federalism”, $19 million for “biodiversity conservation” in Nepal as well as $47 million for “improving learning outcomes in Asia”
Despite his criticism of U.S. funding for India, Trump also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating,
I have a lot of respect for India and their Prime Minister, but giving them this amount is unacceptable. We're giving $21 million for voter turnout in India. What about voter turnout here?
Donald Trump US President
DOGE, tasked with overseeing government workforce reductions, also announced plans to shut down USAID, the agency responsible for global humanitarian efforts. Reports indicate that all USAID operations worldwide were halted on February 7, and the agency’s website was taken down before Musk’s formal announcement.
However, a Trump-appointed judge has issued a temporary restraining order, blocking DOGE from placing 2,200 USAID employees on administrative leave. The future of the agency remains uncertain as legal battles unfold.