Washington: Former US President Donald Trump’s senior trade adviser Peter Navarro has once again targeted India over its trade and energy policies, accusing New Delhi of “profiteering” from discounted Russian oil. However, his claims backfired after X (formerly Twitter) flagged his post with fact-checking notes, calling them “hypocritical.”
In his September 5 post, Navarro alleged that India’s oil imports were funding Russia’s war machine. “India buys Russian oil purely to profit. Revenues feed Russia’s war machine. Ukrainians/Russians die. U.S. taxpayers shell out more. India can’t handle truth/spins,” he wrote, also claiming that India’s “highest tariffs” were costing American jobs.
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The social media platform swiftly countered his claims, clarifying that India’s purchases were for “energy security” and did not breach sanctions. The note also pointed out that the US maintains a trade surplus with India in services and continues to import commodities such as uranium from Russia. “Navarro’s claims are hypocritical,” the fact-check read, highlighting America’s double standards.
Angered, Navarro lashed out at X owner Elon Musk, calling the correction a “crap note.” He accused Musk of letting “propaganda” seep into posts and reiterated that India was “profiteering” from Russian oil.
Navarro has repeatedly singled out India since Trump imposed steep secondary tariffs exceeding 50% on Indian exports—the highest outside of Brazil. Hours after the tariffs took effect, he controversially dubbed the Ukraine conflict “Modi’s war,” blaming India’s crude imports for fueling Moscow’s aggression. He has also described India as a “laundromat for the Kremlin” and recently drew backlash for a casteist remark, accusing “Brahmins” of profiteering at the expense of Indian citizens.
Despite his attacks, India maintains that its oil trade is guided by national energy needs and complies with international law.
