In a scathing attack, senior U.S. Democrat and former Ambassador Rahm Emanuel has accused President Donald Trump of jeopardizing four decades of strategic partnership between the United States and India. Speaking at a Washington policy forum, Emanuel claimed that Trump’s “ego” and his “obsession with the Nobel Peace Prize” led to reckless diplomatic behavior that undermined ties with New Delhi.
Emanuel alleged that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to publicly endorse Trump’s Nobel aspirations following his 2020 ceasefire proposal for South Asia, Trump turned vindictive imposing tariffs and delaying trade talks. He further claimed that “money from Pakistan” influenced key members of Trump’s circle, insinuating that certain funds linked to Islamabad reached Trump’s family and associates, including real estate magnate Steve Witkoff’s son.
Calling it a “strategic blunder of historic proportions,” Emanuel said Trump “threw away 40 years of careful diplomacy for personal gain,” which ultimately benefited China’s regional ambitions. His remarks come at a time when U.S.-India relations face turbulence over tariffs, energy deals, and New Delhi’s Russian oil imports.
The Trump campaign dismissed the allegations as “politically motivated lies,” while analysts note that the controversy adds new tension to an already complex geopolitical equation involving Washington, New Delhi, Islamabad and Beijing.
