US President Trump’s claims on USAID funding to India debunked by Washington Post report

New Delhi, Feb 22: A recent investigation by The Washington Post has refuted US President Donald Trump’s assertion that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) allocated $21 million to India to boost voter turnout. The report stated that no such funding was provided to India, directly contradicting Trump’s repeated claims.

Instead, the report clarifies that USAID’s $21 million contract was designated for Bangladesh, not India. Earlier, Indian Express newspaper also carried a story claiming that after fact check the amount of money was meant for Bangladesh and not India. The revelation has further intensified political tensions between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress Party.

Despite the report’s findings, Trump has continued to push his claim. Addressing a gathering of U.S. governors in a video shared on Friday, he reiterated his concerns over U.S. funds allegedly being used to influence Indian elections.

“Twenty-one million dollars going to my friend, Prime Minister Modi, for voter turnout. We are giving $21 million for voter turnout in India—what about us? I want voter turnout too, Governor… $29 million to strengthen the political landscape in Bangladesh went to a firm that nobody ever heard of,” Trump stated.

This marks the third time in a week that Trump has raised the issue, even going so far as to label the alleged funding a “kickback scheme.” On Friday, he further questioned its legitimacy, saying, “Why are we caring about India’s turnout? We’ve got enough problems. We want our own turnout. Many of these cases, anytime you have no idea what we’re talking about, that means there’s a kickback because nobody has any idea what’s going on there.”

The controversy initially gained traction after DOGE, a platform led by Elon Musk, claimed to have cancelled a $21 million grant purportedly intended to increase voter participation in India. This claim quickly spread in political circles and was subsequently seized upon by

Congress and BJP Clash Over Funding Allegations

With The Washington Post report discrediting the funding claim, the opposition Congress Party in no time launched an attack on the BJP. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera ridiculed BJP supporters for accepting the claim without scrutiny.

“In this latest exposé on the so-called U.S. funding to increase voter turnout in India, The Washington Post discovers that no such program existed and no such funding came in. For the BJP and its blind supporters, crow is part of their daily diet plan. Who else will eat crow following this comedy of errors?” Khera tweeted.

The BJP, meanwhile, has remained aggressive in its counterattacks, accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of seeking foreign intervention to undermine Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

What the Washington Post Report Revealed

According to The Washington Post, the false claim stemmed from DOGE’s assertion that USAID had earmarked $21 million for India as part of a broader $486 million payment to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS). CEPPS is a coalition of nonprofits funded by USAID to promote democratic governance and electoral processes globally.

Citing three officials familiar with US aid initiatives, the report clarified that no such program existed in India.

“We were all shocked to see that claim from DOGE. We don’t know anything about elections in India because we have never been involved,” a USAID official told The Washington Post.

Another U.S. official suggested that Musk’s team may have misrepresented data from other initiatives, stating, “They seem to be conflating figures from unrelated programs.”

While the controversy originated in the United States, its impact has been felt in India’s volatile political landscape, where misinformation often fuels heated debates between the BJP and Congress. As Trump continues to promote the debunked claim, the issue is likely to remain a flashpoint in both U.S. and Indian political discourse. Whether the clarification from The Washington Post will be enough to quell the controversy, however, remains to be seen.