Delhi auto drivers remove Trump banners after reports of three Indian sailors killed in US strikes near Oman. Photos: X/Sidhant Sibal
Videos showing auto-rickshaw drivers in Delhi removing and destroying banners featuring US President Donald Trump have gone viral on social media. The posters had been installed earlier in May as part of celebrations marking the United States’ 250th Independence anniversary. The backlash follows reports that three Indian sailors were killed after US Navy strikes targeted Indian-crewed commercial vessels near Oman in the Strait of Hormuz. Videos circulating online showed auto drivers tearing down Trump-branded coverings attached to their vehicles, as public resentment over the incident. against US grows
According to reports, three Indian-crewed vessels came under attack by US forces near Oman this week amid escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Three Indian crew members were killed in the strikes.
Following the incident, India lodged what it described as a “strong protest” with the United States.
The diplomatic friction intensified further on Friday, when India summoned the most senior American diplomat in New Delhi for the second time in the same week to formally protest attacks carried out by US forces on merchant vessels in West Asia.
As tensions escalated, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday. During the conversation, Rubio said all commercial vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz should immediately comply with US directives.
“Violations of US blockade and illicit transport of Iranian oil will not be tolerated,” Rubio told Jaishankar.
US Embassy in New Delhi launched the “Freedom 250” campaign to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary in New Delhi. They paid auto-rickshaw drivers to put posters that featured US Flag and Donald Trump on their vehicles.
Now, auto drivers are removing these posters in protest… pic.twitter.com/6Nn9Busigu
— Incognito (@Incognito_qfs) June 13, 2026
The protests have also cast fresh attention on a campaign launched months earlier to decorate Delhi’s iconic auto-rickshaws with Trump-themed branding. In May, New Delhi’s three-wheeled taxis received a visual makeover to commemorate America’s 250th Independence celebrations and ahead of Rubio’s proposed India visit.
The US embassy at that time said it had arranged thousands of vehicle covers carrying Trump’s image alongside the American flag for auto-rickshaws operating across the capital.
One of the messages displayed on the covers read: “Happy Birthday America!” followed by “250 years old”.
US Ambassador Sergio Gor launched the campaign in April, introducing what were described as “iconic American images” across the city’s transport network.
Also Read: Iran Denies Trump Claim That Nuclear Deal Will Be Signed On Sunday
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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