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Donald Trump Is Not Against India: Reframing Perceptions Beyond Emotion

 The Emotional Lens That Clouds Geopolitics

Donald Trump & India: The Truth Behind Indo-US Relations | Pradeep Mahaur Magazine

In India, emotionalism often overrides realism. When it comes to geopolitics, this becomes especially true, our perception of world leaders, especially U.S. presidents, is frequently shaped not by ground strategy but by hope, hurt, and headlines. Many Indians believe Donald Trump is "anti-India." But is this belief rooted in fact or just frustration? The truth is far more nuanced and far more important to understand.

Let’s decode the perception, peel back the layers of strategic misreading, and explore why Donald Trump is not against India, even if his policies might sometimes appear uncomfortable.

Donald Trump Is Not Against India: Reframing Perceptions Beyond Emotion


The “America First” Doctrine: Not “India Last”

Donald Trump is, first and foremost, the President of the United States, not a global guardian. His foreign policies are crafted to benefit American interests, not necessarily to appease allies. His unpredictability is not a flaw—it’s a strategic weapon, often designed to extract leverage in negotiations.

Expecting Trump to favor India at the cost of American jobs, trade, or influence is a misplaced expectation. That does not make him anti-India. It makes him a shrewd president serving his own nation, just as any Indian leader is expected to do for India.

Why People Think Trump Is Against India: A Closer Look

Policy / Incident

Impact on India

Public Perception

H-1B Visa Ban

Hit Indian tech workers

Anti-immigration, anti-India diaspora

GSP Withdrawal

Hurt Indian exporters

Start of trade war

Kashmir Mediation Offer

Diplomatic awkwardness

Interference in sovereignty

Meeting with Pakistan’s Army Chief

Seen as betrayal

Favoring Pakistan

Bangladesh Policy

Ignored Chinese interference

Abandoning India's neighborhood interests

Weak Support During Galwan

No military backing

Not a reliable partner against China

Let’s now break down these events with facts, strategy, and perspective.

1. H-1B Visa Ban: Domestic Policy, Not India-Targeted

Trump’s immigration tightening under "America First" was aimed at protecting U.S. jobs post-recession and during COVID not attacking India. While it affected Indian IT professionals, Indian nationals still dominate H-1B visa approvals.

➡ Fact Check:
In FY 2023, around 191,000 Indian professionals were granted H-1B visas. In FY 2024, the number rose to 207,000+.

Indians continue to be the largest beneficiaries. Rather than lament U.S. policies, we should strengthen India's domestic work culture, pay scale, and infrastructure to retain our talent at home.

2. GSP Withdrawal: A Balanced Trade Move

India enjoyed duty-free exports under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). But with India’s exports already enjoying a cost advantage due to currency differentials, Trump argued it unfairly undercut American manufacturers.

➡ Perspective:
India, too, imposes tariffs to protect its industries. This is not hostility, but reciprocity in trade negotiations.

Rather than expecting perpetual preference, India should scale quality and production to compete on global standards, something the Modi government is actively pursuing through PLI schemes and Make-in-India initiatives.

3. Kashmir Mediation Offer: Misread Diplomacy

Trump’s offer to mediate between India and Pakistan on Kashmir was more of a symbolic gesture than an actionable threat. Mediation offers are diplomatic tools, not declarations of alignment.

➡ Truth Behind the Hype:
India rejected the offer, and Trump respected that. More importantly, during the Indo-Pak conflict, Trump’s administration did not supply arms to Pakistan, whereas China and Turkey were openly backing Islamabad.

Compare that with the historical U.S. behavior during the Cold War—arming Pakistan, deploying USS Enterprise during the 1971 war, and sanctioning India post-1998 nuclear tests. Trump’s era, relatively, marked a policy reset.

4. Meeting with Pakistan’s Army Chief: A Strategic Counterweight to China

Trump’s controversial meeting with Gen. Bajwa (now Gen. Asim Munir) raised eyebrows in India. But consider the larger picture: if the U.S. can pull Pakistan away from China, it reduces Beijing’s influence in the Indian Ocean region.

➡ Geostrategic Chess:
If Pakistan becomes less of a Chinese pawn, it benefits Indian security, especially against CPEC projects that threaten Indian territorial integrity in POK.

Such backchannel diplomacy, while uncomfortable, may serve India’s long-term interests more than open confrontation.

5. Bangladesh Tilt: A Missed Indian Opportunity

Much before Trump, India failed to assert itself in Bangladesh’s shifting political landscape. When Sheikh Hasina’s government weakened and pro-China influences grew, India chose caution over action.

➡ Trump’s Response:
By imposing a 35% flat tariff on Bangladeshi goods (from Aug 2025), the U.S. created economic friction with Dhaka, giving India an opening to reassert regional influence.

The onus is now on India to capitalize on this moment, militarily, economically, and culturally, because expecting Trump to fight our regional battles is unrealistic.

6. Weak Support During Galwan: Misunderstood Silence

Yes, Trump didn’t send troops during the Galwan clash. But did we expect direct U.S. intervention in a non-shooting standoff?

➡ Behind the Scenes:
The U.S. provided satellite intelligence, expedited defense agreements like BECA and COMCASA, and vocally criticized China’s aggression. That's strategic support, not silence.

Donald Trump Is Not Against India: Reframing Perceptions Beyond Emotion


Time to Recalibrate Our Expectations

Donald Trump is not anti-India. He is pro-America. And India must be pro-India, not emotionally reactive, but strategically alert.

Our expectations from foreign leaders must align with geopolitical realism, not cinematic diplomacy. Instead of demanding affection, we should negotiate respect. And that respect, in many ways, Trump gave us, even if not always with the fanfare we wanted.

Final Thought:

India’s future lies not in who rules Washington but in how Delhi positions itself, as a confident civilizational state, capable of shaping its region, managing alliances, and leading the Global South. The Trump era is not a betrayal, it is a mirror. It's time we looked into it with clarity.


By Pradeep Mahaur – Pradeep Mahaur Magazine | Hindu Wisdom and Global Affairs


References:

1.    USCISFY 2024 H-1B Visa Statistics

2.    Officeof the U.S. Trade Representative – GSP Program

3.    India’sReaction to Trump’s Kashmir Mediation Offer – The Hindu

4.    GalwanClash Coverage – India Today

5.    Donald Trump's Letter to Bangladesh on Tariffs – Economic Times

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