US President Donald Trump has scrapped a $21 million US taxpayer-funded initiative aimed at boosting voter turnout in India, questioning the need for such financial aid.
“Why are we giving $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 $21 million for voter turnout?” Trump said.
The US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, listed the cancelled funding in a post on X, highlighting several US taxpayer-funded initiatives that were scrapped, including $10 million for Mozambique’s voluntary medical male circumcision and $486 million for the ‘Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening,’ which included $22 million for Moldova.
Reacting to the move, BJP leader Amit Malviya took to X, stating, “$21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference in India’s electoral process. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!”
The DOGE department emphasized that US taxpayer dollars should not be used for foreign electoral processes, sparking debate over international funding in India’s elections.