Overview

• On Aug. 31, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said on Fox News that “Brahmins” were “profiteering at the expense of the Indian people” while defending a 50% tariff on Indian goods.
• He also described New Delhi as “a laundromat for the Kremlin,” tying his argument to criticism of India’s purchases of Russian oil and weapons.
• HinduPACT and American Hindus Against Defamation condemned the remarks as Hinduphobic and called for Navarro’s immediate removal.
• India denounced the tariff as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,” a measure reported as among the highest imposed on any U.S. trade partner.
• Indian billionaire Harsh Goenka posted a widely shared message listing major companies not led by Brahmins and ridiculing Navarro’s claim.