Kashmir Mediation To Russian Oil: Trump's 'Un'Truth Social

US President Donald Trump has made several misleading or outright inaccurate statements about India -- from falsehoods regarding trade policy to the economy, Trump's remarks have frequently clashed with facts.

Trump's announcement of 25 per cent additional tariffs on Indian goods triggered immediate diplomatic pushback from New Delhi and raised questions about Western consistency on Russian energy sanctions. 

Fact-checking Trump

1. "India Stopped Buying Russian Oil" 

Trump's Claim: "Well, I understand India no longer is going to be buying oil from Russia. That's what I heard. I don't know if that's right or not, but that's a good step."

Fact Check: According to government sources, India continues to import Russian crude oil. 

2. "India is the Tariff King"

Trump's Claim: India is the "Tariff King" and an abuser of global trade rules.

Fact Check: India's simple average tariff stands at 16 per cent, comparable to economies like Turkey (16.2 per cent) and Argentina (13.4 per cent). India's weighted average tariff is only 4.6 per cent. 

3. "India is a Dead Economy"

Trump's Claim: India is a "dead economy" and the US does "very little business" with India.

Fact Check: Contrary to Trump's assertion, India remains the largest trading partner of the United States for the fourth consecutive year, with bilateral trade touching $131.84 billion in FY 2024-25. Indian exports to the US rose by 11.6 per cent, reaching $86.51 billion, and imports from the US stood at $45.33 billion.

The two countries have set a target of $500 billion in bilateral trade by 2030 under the "Mission 500" roadmap.

4. Ceasefire Between India and Pakistan

Trump's Claim: He personally brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan and prevented a nuclear conflict.

Fact Check: There is no official evidence to support Trump's claim. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar have clarified that no ceasefire was brokered by the United States.

"At no stage, in any conversation with the United States, was
there any linkage with trade and what was going on. Secondly, there was no talk between the Prime Minister and President Trump from the 22nd of April when President Trump called up to convey his sympathy, and the 17th of June, when he called up the Prime Minister in Canada to explain why he could not meet," Mr Jaishankar said in Parliament. 

5. "1,000 Years War"

Trump's Claim: "There have been tensions on that border for 1,500 years... a thousand-year fight in Kashmir."

Fact Check: The India-Pakistan Kashmir conflict began in 1947 following the partition and independence of India. There is no historical basis for Trump's 1,000-year claim. Prior to 1947, Kashmir was a princely state under British rule and was not subject to the Indo-Pakistani conflict.

6. Kashmir Mediation Offer

Trump's Claim: PM Modi asked him to mediate on Kashmir in 2019.

Fact Check: India categorically denied that any such request was made. The Ministry of External Affairs stated: "No such request has been made by PM Modi to the US President. It has been India's consistent position that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally."

7. "India Got A Sweeter Paris Deal" 

Trump's Claim: India got a "sweeter deal" under the Paris Climate Accord, which justified his withdrawal.

Fact Check: India is the first G20 country to have met its Paris Climate Agreement targets. India's nationally determined contributions (NDCs) have been praised by international climate monitors.

8. "India is Taking American Jobs" 

Trump's Claim: "India is taking our jobs... It's not going to happen anymore, folks."

Fact Check: Indian companies have created over 425,000 jobs in the United States, with $40 billion invested as per a 2023 Confederation of Indian Industry report. Additionally, Indian students contributed $7.7 billion annually to the US economy between 2019 and 2023.

Indian-origin CEOs head major US. firms, including Google, Microsoft, IBM, and Adobe-driving American innovation and competitiveness.