Overview

• Trump imposed cumulative 50% tariffs on Indian goods over Russian oil purchases, and a federal court recently ruled the tariff action illegal.
• Prominent conservatives including Charlie Kirk, Jack Posobiec and Laura Ingraham used the dispute to attack Indian visas, workers and call centers in widely shared posts.
• White House trade adviser Peter Navarro intensified the campaign with media appearances and op-eds, invoking caste politics and accusing Indian elites over Russian oil profits.
• MAGA networks amplified a fatal Florida truck crash attributed to an Indian driver to frame Indians as dangerous, as reports spotlight rising hostility toward Indian Americans.
• Strategic strains deepened as Modi appeared with Putin and Xi in China, even as Indian Americans—an important part of Trump’s coalition—voiced alarm at the rhetoric.