'I was in China. Indian ambassador said to me...': Congressman blasts Trump for wrecking ties with New Delhi
Trump's policies of getting into a war with Iran have been utterly destructive. It has been utterly destructive to the prices of gas in India, says Ro Khanna
- Jun 30, 2026,
- Updated Jun 30, 2026 1:24 PM IST
Congressman Ro Khanna on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on US President Donald Trump, claiming that ties between the United States and India are at their weakest point in three decades.
Khanna accused the Trump administration of damaging America's credibility abroad through its foreign and economic policies.
'US-India relationship at the lowest point in 30 years'
"The US-India relationship has been at the lowest point in the last 30 years," he said while speaking at the IX USISPF Leadership Summit 2026 in Washington, DC. "Trump's policies of getting into a war with Iran have been utterly destructive. It has been utterly destructive to the prices of gas in India. Talk to Jaishankar Shankar if you don't believe me."
The Congressman blamed Trump's policies, particularly the US military action against Iran and tariff measures, for straining ties and creating economic uncertainty. "The idea that we engaged in a unilateral war without our allies, without even consulting Europe, Canada, or India, and made a mess of the world has hurt our credibility, and then the irrationality of the tariff."
The Democratic congressman said concerns about the erosion of trust in the United States were being expressed by diplomats and foreign partners. "I was in China, and the Indian ambassador said to me - a generation of trust has been lost by this president of yours," Khanna said.
Arguing that the United States had moved away from the values that once underpinned its global leadership, Khanna contrasted Trump with former President Franklin D Roosevelt.
"FDR actually believed in the self-determination of people," he said, describing Roosevelt's support for decolonisation, human rights and international cooperation as the foundation of America's moral authority after World War II.
Khanna also invoked former President John F Kennedy, saying America once inspired people through its ideals rather than military power. "That's what inspired my parents to come to America. That's what inspired so many here to come to the United States," he said.
The California lawmaker accused Trump of replacing that vision with a foreign policy based on coercion.
"And now you have an America that has forgotten that moral vision and has a foreign policy of might makes right, threatening not just Iran, threatening Cuba, threatening to conquer Greenland," he said.
Khanna also criticised the administration's approach to immigration, student visas and skilled foreign workers, arguing that it undermines America's ability to attract global talent. "I mean, how can we sit here and not condemn his policies on what he has done with student visas, with the demonization of talent coming to the United States," he said.
Citing data on artificial intelligence researchers, Khanna said America's technological leadership depended heavily on international talent. "He talks about leading in AI. 38% of the top AI researchers are of Chinese origin. 72% have foreign degrees. And this is a president who doesn't understand that we need to be recruiting talent, not turning talent away," he said.
Khanna also predicted a political turnaround for Democrats, describing Trump as a "lame duck" President.
"And what is the good news? He's a lame duck. The Democrats are going to win decisively in 2026, and we're going to win in 2028," he said. "We are going to have a reemergence in this country of a new generation."
Congressman Ro Khanna on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on US President Donald Trump, claiming that ties between the United States and India are at their weakest point in three decades.
Khanna accused the Trump administration of damaging America's credibility abroad through its foreign and economic policies.
'US-India relationship at the lowest point in 30 years'
"The US-India relationship has been at the lowest point in the last 30 years," he said while speaking at the IX USISPF Leadership Summit 2026 in Washington, DC. "Trump's policies of getting into a war with Iran have been utterly destructive. It has been utterly destructive to the prices of gas in India. Talk to Jaishankar Shankar if you don't believe me."
The Congressman blamed Trump's policies, particularly the US military action against Iran and tariff measures, for straining ties and creating economic uncertainty. "The idea that we engaged in a unilateral war without our allies, without even consulting Europe, Canada, or India, and made a mess of the world has hurt our credibility, and then the irrationality of the tariff."
The Democratic congressman said concerns about the erosion of trust in the United States were being expressed by diplomats and foreign partners. "I was in China, and the Indian ambassador said to me - a generation of trust has been lost by this president of yours," Khanna said.
Arguing that the United States had moved away from the values that once underpinned its global leadership, Khanna contrasted Trump with former President Franklin D Roosevelt.
"FDR actually believed in the self-determination of people," he said, describing Roosevelt's support for decolonisation, human rights and international cooperation as the foundation of America's moral authority after World War II.
Khanna also invoked former President John F Kennedy, saying America once inspired people through its ideals rather than military power. "That's what inspired my parents to come to America. That's what inspired so many here to come to the United States," he said.
The California lawmaker accused Trump of replacing that vision with a foreign policy based on coercion.
"And now you have an America that has forgotten that moral vision and has a foreign policy of might makes right, threatening not just Iran, threatening Cuba, threatening to conquer Greenland," he said.
Khanna also criticised the administration's approach to immigration, student visas and skilled foreign workers, arguing that it undermines America's ability to attract global talent. "I mean, how can we sit here and not condemn his policies on what he has done with student visas, with the demonization of talent coming to the United States," he said.
Citing data on artificial intelligence researchers, Khanna said America's technological leadership depended heavily on international talent. "He talks about leading in AI. 38% of the top AI researchers are of Chinese origin. 72% have foreign degrees. And this is a president who doesn't understand that we need to be recruiting talent, not turning talent away," he said.
Khanna also predicted a political turnaround for Democrats, describing Trump as a "lame duck" President.
"And what is the good news? He's a lame duck. The Democrats are going to win decisively in 2026, and we're going to win in 2028," he said. "We are going to have a reemergence in this country of a new generation."