"Why are we giving USD 21 million to India? They have a lot more money," says Donald Trump

"Why are we giving USD 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. I have a lot of respect for India and their Prime Minister, but giving USD 21 million for voter turnout?" US President Donald Trump said after signing executive orders at Mar-a-Lago.   

Trump in effect defended the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) decision to cancel a USD 21 million fund designated for "voter turnout" in India, questioning the need for such financial support given the country's economic growth and high tariffs.  

The funding included the $21 million grant for India and also a $29 million programme to strengthen Bangladesh's political landscape.

In its announcement on Sunday, DOGE, established under the Donald Trump administration to oversee and cut government spending, said it decided to slash $723 million in foreign aid funding as part of its broader budget overhaul plans.  

The department emphasised that all cancelled expenditures were part of a broader effort to cut unnecessary spending.

Trump's latest remarks came just days after economist Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, also commented on DOGE's decision to slash funds for India and called USAID the "biggest scam in human history".

In a tweet, Sanyal said, 

"Would love to find out who received the US$21 mn spent to improve 'voter turnout in India' and the US$29 mn to 'strengthening political landscape in Bangladesh'; 

not to mention the US$29mn spend to improve 'fiscal federalism' in Nepal. USAID is the biggest scam in human history."  

Founded in 1961, USAID has an annual budget of more than $40 billion, used to support development, health and humanitarian programmes around the world, especially in poor countries. 

Shortly after he returned to office, President Donald Trump ordered a near-total freeze on all foreign aid, with Musk also announcing DOGE's intention of shutting down USAID.

Besides Sanyal, also commenting on the fund slashing development was former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi, who refuted reports that the US was providing money to boost voter turnout in India.

"The report in a section of media about an MoU by ECI in 2012 when I was CEC , for funding of certain million dollars by a US agency for raising voter turnout in India does not have an iota of fact," he tweeted.

Meanwhile, the BJP also joined the debate on Sunday and questioned "who gains" from this "external interference in India’s electoral process".

"$486M to the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening,” including $22M for "inclusive and participatory political process" in Moldova and $21M for voter turnout in India. $21M for voter turnout? 

This definitely is external interference in India’s electoral process. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure," BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya tweeted.