The United States Embassy in New Delhi has firmly dismissed former U.S. President Donald Trump’s allegation that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) directed $21 million toward voter turnout activities in India. In its official communication with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Embassy stated clearly that USAID had never received nor released such funds during fiscal years 2014 to 2024. It also stressed that the agency did not carry out any voter-related programs in India during this period.

The matter became a controversy in February 2025, after Trump—relying on a review conducted by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—publicly claimed that USAID had been financing electoral and voter-focused projects across different parts of the world. While delivering his remarks, Trump specifically pointed at India as one of the beneficiaries, stating that $21 million was earmarked to “increase voter turnout.” His comments immediately raised questions in New Delhi, where the MEA sought a full explanation from Washington to clarify the matter.

Responding swiftly, the MEA on 28 February 2025 made a formal request to the U.S. Embassy. The Ministry demanded a complete list of USAID-supported projects in India for the past ten years. This request included a need for clarity on expenditure trends, details about implementing partners, and confirmation on whether any activities connected to voter mobilization had taken place.

The Embassy submitted its detailed response on 2 July 2025. In this document, American officials provided a decade-long breakdown of USAID funding in India. The explanation made it clear that all programs were designed strictly within the framework of seven Partnership Agreements signed with the Government of India. These projects, the Embassy highlighted, were centered on development cooperation, health, education, renewable energy, and governance reforms—none of them involving electoral participation or voter campaigns. The Embassy’s statement was categorical: “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.”

The Embassy went further in its subsequent communication on 29 July 2025, confirming to the MEA that all USAID activities in India were being shut down. The timeline for this closure was set for 15 August 2025, following the Biden administration’s decision to dissolve USAID’s operations worldwide. Later, on 11 August 2025, the Embassy notified the Department of Economic Affairs that all seven Partnership Agreements with India had officially ended.

This strong denial is particularly significant given Trump’s earlier narrative, which alleged that U.S. foreign aid had been misused for political interference abroad. His claims followed Executive Order 14169, signed in January 2025, which triggered a sweeping audit of all American foreign assistance programs. As part of this review, DOGE did confirm the cancellation of $486 million allocated for global projects under the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS). However, the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi has now clarified beyond doubt that none of this money was ever directed toward India.

To remove any remaining doubts, the Embassy also released a beneficiary-wise allocation list covering the years 2022, 2023, and 2024. The data confirmed that every USAID program in India was focused on transparent, development-oriented work. Officials underlined once more that there had been no role, direct or indirect, in the electoral or political process of the country.