Washington 2 Sep 2025 : Former U.S. National Security Advisor (Ex-NSA) Jake Sullivan has revealed that President Donald Trump prioritized his family’s business ties with Pakistan, which seriously damaged India-U.S. relations. Sullivan said, “A strong relationship between India and the U.S. is of immense strategic importance for us. But Trump weakened these ties because of his family’s business interests in Pakistan. This in itself was a very big strategic loss.”
The Trump administration imposed tariffs of up to 50% on goods imported from India, along with an additional 25% penalty tariff. This move deeply hurt trade between the two countries and increased the burden of inflation on both Indian exporters and American consumers. India-U.S. relations have long been based on shared democratic values, defense cooperation, and economic partnership. Sullivan alleged that the Trump family’s real estate deals and business projects were linked to Pakistan. To safeguard these business interests, Trump adopted a harsh stance against India.
- In 2005, the Nuclear Deal brought the two countries closer.
- In 2016, the U.S. granted India the status of a Major Defense Partner.
- But during Trump’s tenure, tariff wars and a tilt toward Pakistan weakened this partnership.
According to experts, Trump’s policies caused three major losses for the U.S.:
- Trade cooperation with India weakened.
- Defense and security partnership was affected.
- China’s influence in the Asia-Pacific region grew because the U.S.-India partnership faltered.
Sullivan added that the current Biden administration is now working to repair these broken ties and strengthen the India-U.S. partnership once again.
Summary:
US NSA Jake Sullivan revealed that former President Donald Trump’s policies strained US-India relations, inadvertently strengthening Pakistan and China, who capitalized on the weakened diplomatic equation.