Former USAID chief hails Trump for tariffs on India
(MENAFN) Former USAID Administrator Samantha Power praised President Donald Trump for imposing tariffs on India during a prank call in which Russian comedians impersonated former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko.
“I am pleased with the sanctions done against India around buying the oil,” Power said. “This is the only good thing that Trump did.” She also noted that the measures could “deter Modi from buying so much oil” and added that the Biden administration “did not do this.”
Power, who led the US Agency for International Development from 2021 to 2025, has supported policies countering Russian influence. In the prank conversation, she highlighted expanded aid to Moldova under President Maia Sandu as one of her successes.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump sought to scale back USAID funding, temporarily halting new aid and cutting more than 90% of programs, arguing that resources should prioritize domestic needs.
In August, the US imposed a 25% tariff on India over its purchases of Russian oil and weapons, on top of an earlier 25% tariff when trade negotiations failed, bringing total penalties to 50%. Russia has been India’s largest oil supplier since 2022, supplying about 40% of the country’s imports. India has condemned the US tariffs as “unjustified and unreasonable.”
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