US President Donald Trump has again raised concerns about the United States spending $21 million to support voter turnout in India. He made these remarks at the FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami, where he questioned why the US needs to fund elections in another country.

Why is Trump questioning the $21 million for India?

Trump expressed his surprise and disapproval over the US decision to spend money on voter turnout efforts in India. He said, "$21 million for voter turnout? Why do we need to spend $21 million for voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected."

He also compared this spending to claims that Russia interfered in US elections with just $2,000 in online ads, calling it a "total breakthrough."

Additionally, Trump highlighted India’s strong economy and high tariffs on US goods, arguing that India does not need financial help from the US. He stated, "They got a lot of money. They're 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."

In his criticism, Trump made it clear that he still respects India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking about Modi’s recent visit to the US, he said, "I have a lot of respect for India. I have a lot of respect for the prime minister. He just left, as you know, two days ago. But we're giving $21 million for voter turnout. It's voter turnout in India. What about, like, voter turnout here? Oh, we've done that, I guess. We did $500 million, didn't we? It's called the lockboxes."

What did Trump say about US spending in Ukraine?

Apart from India, Trump criticised the massive US financial aid to Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia. He claimed that the US has spent $200 billion more than Europe and will not get anything in return. He said, "The United States has spent $200 billion more than Europe, and Europe's money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back."

Trump also took direct aim at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of mismanaging funds and refusing to hold elections. He wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social: "On top of this, Zelenskyy admits that half of the money we sent him is 'MISSING.' He refuses to have elections, is very low in Ukrainian polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden 'like a fiddle.' A dictator without elections, Zelenskyy better move fast, or he is not going to have a country left."

Trump’s concerns over US spending

Trump’s comments reflect his long-standing criticism of US financial aid to other countries. He believes that America should focus on its own issues rather than spending billions abroad. By questioning US spending in both India and Ukraine, he is emphasising his “America First” approach, which aims to prioritise domestic interests over international aid.

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