🕉️ Venkat ࿗🇮🇳 (Nationalist)

1️⃣ Trump’s midterm setback offers India some breathing room. After tariffs, threats and insults, a check on his power will be very welcome. A reminder of what India faced in his second term: 2️⃣ THE TARIFF HAMMER: Imposed tariffs reaching 50% on many Indian goods, including a 25% Russian-oil penalty. Indian exporters became collateral damage in his pressure campaign. Rates were subsequently reduced. 3️⃣ THE ECONOMIC INSULT: Dismissed India & Russia as a “dead economies”. Said they could take those economies down together “for all I care”. (You remember who picked that up 🙄) 4️⃣ THE CEASEFIRE CREDIT GRAB: Repeatedly claimed he stopped Op Sindoor. India’s position: Pakistan practically begged for the ceasefire, there was no US mediation or trade bargain. He kept claiming credit anyway. 5️⃣ THE TRADE BLACKMAIL CLAIM: Boasted that threatening BOTH India and Pakistan with 250% tariffs stopped the fighting. His account reduced India’s military decisions to obedience to Washington. India rejected it. 6️⃣ THE KASHMIR INTERVENTION: Offered to help settle Kashmir after a supposed “thousand years”. Injected himself into an issue on which India has consistently rejected third-party mediation. 7️⃣ THE PAKISTAN EMBRACE: Hosted Asim Munir for an unprecedented White House lunch weeks after the conflict. India privately protested that Washington was sending the wrong signal to Pakistan’s military. 8️⃣ THE OIL TAUNT: Announced plans to develop Pakistan’s oil reserves, then suggested Pakistan might someday sell oil to India. This came hours after announcing tariffs on India. 9️⃣ THE MANUFACTURING PRESSURE: Told Tim Cook he did not want Apple expanding production in India for the US market. Then threatened at least 25% tariffs on iPhones manufactured abroad. A direct challenge to India’s manufacturing ambitions. 🔟 THE VISA BLOW: Imposed a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions, hitting a route dominated by Indian professionals. The rollout caused panic before clarification that existing visas and renewals were excluded. 1️⃣1️⃣ THE SHACKLED DEPORTEES: His administration returned Indians on a military aircraft, with deportees in handcuffs and leg restraints. Trump made the White House boast about it with music-laced videos. 1️⃣2️⃣ THE PERSONAL CONDESCENSION: Threatened fresh tariffs over Russian oil, saying Modi knew he was unhappy and “it was important to make me happy”. India’s energy security treated as a presidential favour. 1️⃣3️⃣ THE “HELLHOLE” REPOST: Amplified material describing India as a “hellhole”. India owes no American party its loyalty. The Democrats have low-key been as bad or worse in the past. But after his record of ‘big guy’ diplomacy, Trump cut to size will be welcomed by India.