Trump Aide Fumes at X Over India Oil Fact-Check
US President Donald Trump’s senior trade adviser Peter Navarro has once again targeted India over its continued purchase of Russian oil, but this time his claims drew a strong rebuttal from fact-checkers on Elon Musk’s X platform.
In his post, Navarro accused India of “profiteering” from Russian oil imports and claimed that revenues were fueling Moscow’s war in Ukraine. “India buys Russian oil purely to profit. Revenues feed Russia’s war machine. Ukrainians and Russians die. US taxpayers shell out more. India can’t handle truth/spins,” Navarro wrote.
X’s fact-check feature, however, corrected the narrative. The platform clarified that India’s oil imports are legal, driven by energy security needs, and do not violate international sanctions. It also highlighted that the US itself continues to import billions of dollars’ worth of Russian commodities, including uranium, making Navarro’s claims hypocritical. Another note added that while India maintains some tariffs, the US actually enjoys a trade surplus with India in services.
Angered by the pushback, Navarro lashed out at Musk, calling the correction a “crap note.” “Wow. @elonmusk is letting propaganda into people’s posts. That crap note below is just that. Crap. India buys Russian oil solely to profiteer. The Indian government spin machine is in high tilt. Stop killing Ukrainians. Stop taking American jobs,” he retorted.
Navarro has repeatedly escalated rhetoric against New Delhi. He has labeled India the “Maharaj of tariffs,” accused refiners of acting as a “laundromat for the Kremlin,” and even made casteist remarks, alleging that “Brahmins” were profiteering from discounted Russian crude.
His comments come amid heightened tensions in India-US ties. Trump recently imposed secondary tariffs on India, raising duties on Indian exports above 50 percent—the steepest under his new trade list apart from Brazil. Following the move, Navarro blamed the Russia-Ukraine war on India’s oil purchases, even describing it as “Modi’s war.”
The tariff row coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, where the leaders showcased unity. In response, Trump remarked that the US may have “lost India to China,” though he later clarified he did not believe so.
Despite the tensions, both leaders have sought to reassure the partnership. Trump recently reaffirmed that India-US relations are a “very special relationship” and stressed his personal rapport with Modi, recalling their joint press conference at the White House Rose Garden. Modi, in turn, reciprocated by calling the partnership “positive and forward-looking,” signaling a desire to ease frictions.
The episode underscores how energy geopolitics, tariffs, and political rhetoric are reshaping the India-US relationship, even as both sides continue to publicly affirm their long-term strategic ties.
