'Don't Burn a Relationship with India and Give China A Pass': Nikki Haley Slams Trump Over US Tariffs

Republican leader and Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has done what few in the Republican Party have dared in recent months: directly challenge Donald Trump on foreign policy. And this time, she’s absolutely right.

Haley’s rebuke comes in response to Trump’s latest saber-rattling against India, a country that has become one of America’s most important strategic partners in Asia. In a sharp statement on X (formerly Twitter), Haley criticized Trump’s threat to dramatically raise tariffs on Indian goods, warning that such a move would harm a vital alliance at a time when Washington can least afford to alienate its friends.

‘India should not be buying oil from Russia. But China, an adversary and the number one buyer of Russian and Iranian oil, got a 90-day tariff pause,’ Haley wrote. Her message was clear: Trump is punishing a democratic ally while letting an authoritarian rival off the hook. ‘Don’t give China a pass and burn a relationship with a strong ally like India,’ she added.

Haley has long positioned herself as both a hawk on China and a champion of India’s rise on the world stage. Her comments reflect a deeper concern among serious foreign policy thinkers: that Trump’s transactional worldview is dangerously short on strategy and long on political theatrics.

When Politics Trumps Strategy

On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump accused India of profiting off Russian oil sales on the global market, yet he remains conspicuously quiet about China, a country that not only remains the top buyer of Russian and Iranian oil but also continues to defy U.S. sanctions with impunity. Worse, he recently granted Beijing a 90-day reprieve on new tariffs.

Critics argue that such an approach undermines the very alliances that have historically underpinned U.S. global leadership.

“India is not just any partner, it’s a democratic counterweight to China in the Indo-Pacific,” Haley emphasized. “At a time when Beijing is growing more aggressive, alienating allies like India, Japan, and South Korea is not just unwise, it’s dangerous.”

The hypocrisy is glaring. Trump is targeting a democratic partner while giving a geopolitical adversary room to breathe. It’s a move that undermines the very alliances the United States needs to confront China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.

India Pushes Back

India, for its part, isn’t backing down. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a blunt response, rejecting Trump’s statements as ‘politically motivated’ and ‘unjustified’. The MEA emphasized that India’s energy policy is driven by strategic necessity, especially after Western suppliers redirected their exports to Europe following the outbreak of the Ukraine war.

What Trump fails to acknowledge or perhaps chooses to ignore is that Washington itself once encouraged India to diversify its energy imports to include Russian crude as a way of stabilizing global energy markets. The MEA also pointed out that the U.S. continues to import key materials from Russia, including uranium for its nuclear sector, palladium for EVs, and various fertilizers and chemicals. In short, India is not alone in maintaining trade with Moscow.

“Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” the MEA stated.

Haley’s warning couldn’t be more timely. Trump’s erratic trade threats not only risk souring relations with New Delhi but also send the wrong message globally: that the U.S. treats allies with suspicion and rivals with special treatment. This isn’t just poor diplomacy, it’s strategic blindness.

Trump should listen before he burns yet another bridge the U.S. can’t afford to lose.