Trump didn’t get Indian-American money, and India got the tariffs: A paper connects the dots
This runs counter to popular belief that Indian-Americans, particularly older and wealthier “NRI uncles,” align with the U.S. political right due to their support for India’s ruling BJP. The study finds no such shift in donation patterns.
- Sep 9, 2025,
- Updated Sep 9, 2025 7:47 AM IST
Donald Trump’s tough tariff stance on India may have had less to do with trade—and more to do with money. A new study tracking two decades of Indian-American political contributions finds the community consistently backs Democrats, with Trump receiving one of the lowest shares of their support in modern history.
The paper—An Emerging Lobby: An Analysis of Campaign Contributions from Indian-Americans, 1998–2022—was authored by Joyojeet Pal (University of Michigan), Karnav Popat, and Vishnu Prakash (Ashoka University). It reveals a dramatic 550% increase in Indian-American political donors over the last two decades, from roughly 6,700 in 2000 to 43,000 in 2020.
Despite this surge, participation remains relatively low. Just 1.3% of Indian-Americans contributed to campaigns in 2022. But within this growing bloc, the political tilt is clear: In 2020, Indian-Americans gave $46.6 million to Democrats compared to $16.3 million to Republicans. Every major sector—including traditionally conservative ones like agribusiness—showed a pro-Democrat bias.
Pal notes this partisan lean may explain elements of Trump’s India policy during his first term, particularly the imposition of tariffs. “Trump’s tariffs on India may be partly explained by who funds his politics,” Pal said, pointing out that Indian-American support for Trump-1 was among the lowest on record.
This runs counter to popular belief that Indian-Americans, particularly older and wealthier “NRI uncles,” align with the U.S. political right due to their support for India’s ruling BJP. The study finds no such shift in donation patterns.
Currently, all six Indian-Americans in the U.S. Congress are Democrats. Figures like Ro Khanna and Suraj Patel raised significant funds from within the diaspora early in their campaigns—Patel with $5.5 million, much of it from the Patel community, and Khanna with 80% of his early funds coming from Indian-American donors.
While still far from kingmaker status, the authors argue Indian-Americans are becoming a visible and organized political force—wealthy, growing, and increasingly influential on the U.S. campaign trail.
Donald Trump’s tough tariff stance on India may have had less to do with trade—and more to do with money. A new study tracking two decades of Indian-American political contributions finds the community consistently backs Democrats, with Trump receiving one of the lowest shares of their support in modern history.
The paper—An Emerging Lobby: An Analysis of Campaign Contributions from Indian-Americans, 1998–2022—was authored by Joyojeet Pal (University of Michigan), Karnav Popat, and Vishnu Prakash (Ashoka University). It reveals a dramatic 550% increase in Indian-American political donors over the last two decades, from roughly 6,700 in 2000 to 43,000 in 2020.
Despite this surge, participation remains relatively low. Just 1.3% of Indian-Americans contributed to campaigns in 2022. But within this growing bloc, the political tilt is clear: In 2020, Indian-Americans gave $46.6 million to Democrats compared to $16.3 million to Republicans. Every major sector—including traditionally conservative ones like agribusiness—showed a pro-Democrat bias.
Pal notes this partisan lean may explain elements of Trump’s India policy during his first term, particularly the imposition of tariffs. “Trump’s tariffs on India may be partly explained by who funds his politics,” Pal said, pointing out that Indian-American support for Trump-1 was among the lowest on record.
This runs counter to popular belief that Indian-Americans, particularly older and wealthier “NRI uncles,” align with the U.S. political right due to their support for India’s ruling BJP. The study finds no such shift in donation patterns.
Currently, all six Indian-Americans in the U.S. Congress are Democrats. Figures like Ro Khanna and Suraj Patel raised significant funds from within the diaspora early in their campaigns—Patel with $5.5 million, much of it from the Patel community, and Khanna with 80% of his early funds coming from Indian-American donors.
While still far from kingmaker status, the authors argue Indian-Americans are becoming a visible and organized political force—wealthy, growing, and increasingly influential on the U.S. campaign trail.