US-India Relations at Lowest Point in 30 Years, Says Congressman Ro Khanna

The US-India relationship is at its lowest point in 30 years due to President Donald Trump's "utterly destructive" policies, Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said on Monday, even as both countries move to finalise a bilateral trade agreement and plan a presidential visit next year.

Addressing the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Leadership Summit in Washington, the California Democrat said the Trump administration's policies had caused lasting damage. "Now, you know I'm not one to mince words. I sort of tell things as they are. The US-India relationship has been at its lowest point in the last 30 years," Khanna said, according to a PTI report.

"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 (External Affairs Minister S) Jaishankar if you don't believe me," he said.

Khanna said that during his recent visit to China, India's ambassador there told him that "a generation of trust has been lost by President Trump." He warned that failure to acknowledge the damage would be a denial of reality. "If we don't speak the truth about the damage this President has done...we are not living in reality," he said.

Criticism of Trump's Foreign Policy

The presumptive 2028 presidential hopeful slammed Trump's approach to foreign policy, accusing the administration of abandoning moral leadership. "Now you have an America that has forgotten that moral vision, that has a foreign policy of might makes right, threatening not just Iran, threatening Cuba, threatening to conquer Greenland," Khanna added.

He also criticised the administration's immigration policies, particularly its impact on skilled workers. "38 per cent of the top AI researchers are of Chinese origin. 72 per cent have foreign degrees. This is a President who doesn't understand that we need to be recruiting talent, not turning talent away," Khanna said.

Contrast With Trade Deal, Trump Visit Plans

Khanna's comments stand in contrast to recent developments. US Ambassador Sergio Gor has said negotiations on the proposed India-US trade agreement have entered the final stage, with only a handful of issues remaining unresolved, according to an Outlook India report. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the administration is working towards having Trump visit India "sometime early next year," describing New Delhi as one of Washington's closest partners.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was in India this week for two days of talks with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to finalise the first phase of the agreement, even as the Trump administration seeks alternative legal pathways to impose tariffs after the US Supreme Court struck down reciprocal tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Geopolitical Scenario

Khanna's remarks also come amid shifting geopolitical dynamics. Trump has been courting both India and China simultaneously, engaging New Delhi as a key defence and technology partner while maintaining dialogue with Beijing on trade and regional security.

The war in Iran, which disrupted global energy markets and strained supply chains across Asia, has reshaped perceptions of American military reach. The US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 opened a 60-day window for a broader peace agreement, with Washington then turning its attention back to Asia.

According to a recent Pew survey, Indian confidence in Trump has fallen to record lows, with only 47 per cent of Indians expressing confidence in Trump to do the right thing regarding world affairs, down from 59 per cent in 2024.

Khanna's Political Framing

Khanna described Trump as a "lame duck" and asserted that Democrats would win the upcoming mid-term elections and the 2028 presidential elections decisively. The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, which hosted the summit, is a prominent advocacy group focused on deepening bilateral ties.

The US-India bilateral trade relationship has grown significantly in recent years. According to the US Trade Representative, the US goods trade with India totalled an estimated $149.4 billion in 2025, with goods exports to India reaching $45.6 billion and imports totalling $103.8 billion. Both countries have set an ambitious target to more than double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.