New Delhi/Washington: Peter Navarro, White Home commerce advisor and shut ally of Donald Trump, launched a blistering assault on India over its Russian oil purchases, accusing New Delhi of benefiting from the commerce whereas undermining American jobs. However the criticism backfired when Elon Musk’s X (previously Twitter) fact-checked his claims, exposing evident double requirements in U.S. commerce and sanction insurance policies.
“FACTS: India highest tariffs prices U.S. jobs. India buys Russian oil purely to revenue/Revenues feed Russia struggle machine. Ukrainians/Russians die. U.S. taxpayers shell out extra. India cannot deal with fact/spins @washpo Leftist American pretend information. QED. https://bit.ly/3Vndng1,” he wrote on the microblogging website.
FACTS: India highest tariffs prices U.S. jobs. India buys Russian oil purely to revenue/Revenues feed Russia struggle machine. Ukrainians/Russians die. U.S. taxpayers shell out extra. India cannot deal with fact/spins @washpo
Leftist American pretend information. QED. https://t.co/9UwdodYBEe
— Peter Navarro (@RealPNavarro) September 5, 2025
Hours later, X added a neighborhood word to Navarro’s submit, clarifying that India’s buy of Russian oil is for vitality safety, not mere revenue. The word emphasised that New Delhi’s actions don’t violate worldwide sanctions.
X additionally highlighted that america itself imports uranium and different minerals from Russia, illustrating what it referred to as a “hypocritical” double commonplace.
Navarro reacted angrily to the fact-check, concentrating on Musk. He wrote that the Tesla CEO is spreading “propaganda” and criticised the neighborhood word, insisting that India buys Russian oil solely for revenue and solely started doing so after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He accused India of spinning the narrative to justify the purchases, urging it to “cease killing Ukrainians and taking American jobs”.
Wow. @elonmusk is letting propaganda into folks’s posts. That crap word under is simply that. Crap. India buys Russia oil solely to profiteer. It did not purchase any earlier than Russia invaded Ukraine. Indian govt spin machine shifting excessive tilt. Cease killing Ukranians. Cease taking… https://t.co/Uj1NMUrVOM
— Peter Navarro (@RealPNavarro) September 6, 2025
X fact-checked Navarro’s counterclaims as effectively, reaffirming that India’s vitality commerce is a sovereign determination and doesn’t breach worldwide legislation. The platform once more highlighted the U.S.’s double commonplace in commerce and sanctions enforcement.
Navarro’s statements got here amid the Trump administration’s announcement on August 27 to impose a further 25% obligation on Indian imports, elevating whole tariffs to 50%.
Navarro repeatedly criticised India because the “Maharaja of Tariffs” and labelled it a “laundromat for the Kremlin”, even calling the Ukraine struggle “Modi’s struggle”.
In a very controversial comment, he advised that “Brahmin Indians are profiting on the expense of their very own folks”. The Indian authorities rejected these statements. Ministry of Exterior Affairs spokesperson Randeep Jaiswal said on Friday, “Now we have noticed a number of inaccurate statements from him and we reject them.”