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Former US President Donald Trump has raised concerns over the necessity of providing $21 million in financial aid to support voter turnout efforts in India. Citing India’s expanding economy and high tax rates, Trump questioned the rationale behind such funding, suggesting that the country does not require US assistance.

His remarks followed the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) decision to cancel the $21 million allocated for 'Voter Turnout in India.'

"Why are we giving $21 million to India? They have substantial financial resources. They are one of the highest-taxing countries in the world when it comes to us. We can hardly access their markets due to their high tariffs," Trump stated from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

Despite his criticism of the funding, Trump reiterated his respect for India and its Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who recently visited the United States.

"I have great respect for India and Prime Minister Modi, but $21 million for voter turnout in India? What about voter turnout here in the US?" he added.

On February 16, DOGE—led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk—released a list of cancelled US taxpayer-funded initiatives, which included the $21 million designated for voter turnout efforts in India.

"US taxpayer dollars were set to be spent on the following initiatives, all of which have now been cancelled," the Musk-led department announced.

The decision sparked reactions from Indian political figures, with BJP's Amit Malviya calling the now-scrapped funding an example of 'external interference' in India's electoral process.

"$21M for voter turnout? This is clearly external interference in India's electoral process. Who benefits from this? Certainly not the ruling party!" Malviya posted on X.


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