Peter Navarro sparks row with casteist remark on Brahmins profiteering, defends Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian goods. Photo/X.
White House trade advisor Peter Navarro is scaling back his attacks against India for buying Russian oil. After making a racist comment earlier, Navarro has now made a casteist attack on Indua, saying that “Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of the Indian people.” The loumouth trade advisor has given several interviews defending US President Donald Trump’s 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods by sharply criticising New Delhi’s trade practices. Earlier, Navarro described India as “nothing but a laundromat for the Kremlin.”
Navarro questioned India’s decision to continue business with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping despite being the “biggest democracy in the world.”
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His comments were aimed at India’s purchase of Russian oil, which he has repeatedly highlighted in recent weeks to justify Trump’s tariff hikes.
The Trump administration recently doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent, adding an extra 25 per cent levy in response to India’s continued trade with Russia.
In an interview with Fox News, Navarro was asked about negotiations with India and the fact that China is also a major offender in US trade disputes. When asked whether additional tariffs on India were “enough to choke Vladimir Putin,” he explained that while India currently faces a 50 per cent tariff, China has a little over 50 per cent levy as well.
“There is also a question of how much higher we want to go without actually hurting ourselves,” Navarro clarified.
Despite the discussion including China, Navarro quickly circled back to India. He said that prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, India purchased very little Russian oil.
“What happened? Well, the Russian refiners went in and got into bed with big oil India. Putin gives (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi a discount on the crude. They refine it and they ship it to Europe, Africa and Asia at a big premium and they make a ton of money,” Navarro stated.
He then added, “Now, what’s wrong with that picture? Well, it fuels the Russian war machine. India is nothing but a laundromat for the Kremlin. It kills Ukrainians. And what we have to do as taxpayers is we have to send them more money so Ukraine can defend itself.”
Navarro went on to brand India the “Maharaja of tariffs,” alleging that New Delhi imposes some of the highest tariffs in the world.
“They export us a bunch of stuff. They won’t let US sell to them. So, who gets hurt? Workers in America, taxpayers in America, Ukrainians in cities get killed by Russian drones,” he said.
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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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