- President Trump claimed India used USAID funds for voter turnout, which was contradicted
- The claim originated from a post by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency
- USAID funding data from 2014 to 2024 was shared by the US Embassy, showing no voter turnout projects
The US Embassy in Delhi has contradicted President Donald Trump's claims and said that it did not receive or provide $21 million for any voter turnout-related activities in India. The Ministry of External Affairs informed the Rajya Sabha about the denial on Thursday.
In a statement, the US Embassy wrote, "USAID/India did not receive/provide funding of $21 m for voter turnout in India (FY 2014 to 2024) nor implemented any voter turnout-related activities."
In February, Trump had asserted that the Indian government used the USAID fund for voter-turnout related activities, saying, "And $21 million going to my friend Prime Minister Modi in India for voter Turnout. We're giving 21 million for voter turnout in India. What about us? I want voter turnout too," Trump said.
The External Affairs Ministry had said that the claims were "deeply troubling" and raised concerns about foreign interference in India's sovereign matters.
The basis of the claim was a post on X by billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The post mentioned that it had cancelled "$21M for voter turnout in India" among other grants.
Subsequently, the External Affairs Ministry requested information from the US Embassy regarding the allocation and expenditure of USAID funds for projects in India over the past decade.
The data of the USAID funding in India from 2014-2024 was shared by the US Embassy on July 2, 2025.
"On 2 July 2025, the US Embassy shared data that it said covered USAID funding in India from 2014 to 2024, including details of implementing partners, objectives, and key accomplishments of each activity undertaken. The embassy also maintains that 'USAID/India did not receive or provide funding of $21 million for voter turnout in India from fiscal years 2014 to 2024, nor has it implemented any voter turnout-related activities in India'," Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State, Ministry of External Affairs, wrote in reply to a question from CPI(M) MP John Brittas.
The US embassy's reply comes amid a huge curtailment of USAID operations globally.
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