Key Takeaways
- The Trump administration cancelled USD 21 million funding for India’s voter turnout as part of a broader effort to cut unnecessary spending.
- The Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Elon Musk, made the decision to cancel the funding.
- The cancellation of USD 21 million funding is part of a broader effort to slash USD 723 million in foreign aid funding.
New Delhi: While stating that he has lots of respect for India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Doland Trump has questioned the funding of USD 21 Million to India for “voter turnout” and decided to cancel any such payouts.
“Why are we giving USD 21 million to India? They have a lot more money. They are one of the highest taxing countries in the world in terms of us; we can hardly get in there because their tariffs are so high. I have a lot of respect for India and their Prime Minister, but giving USD 21 million for voter turnout?” Trump questioned.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk, recently decided to slash USD 723 million in foreign aid funding as part of its broader budget overhaul plans. This move included cancelling USD 21 million funding for India’s voter turnout.
Alongside the India voter turnout funds, the list of scrapped funding included a USD 29 million grant for “strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh” and USD 39 million for “fiscal federalism” and “biodiversity conservation” in Nepal, among other international fundings.
The department, headed by Elon Musk, emphasized that all the listed expenditures were part of a broader effort to cut unnecessary spending.
