US President Donald Trump’s tariff war against India has backfired in a very visible way. India has refused to bend, publicly saying it will keep buying Russian oil. That stance has exposed U.S. double standards and the profits America itself makes from the Russia-Ukraine war. At the same time, India has strengthened its ties with Russia and China. What began as a “punishment” has instead deepened cooperation across RIC (Russia-India-China) and helped consolidate BRICS.

This unexpected outcome has triggered critical coverage in sections of the U.S. media, which now describe these tariffs as a miscalculation that undermines Washington’s goals. Recent reporting also shows how Russia adapted to sanctions by relying more on energy trade with China and India, increasing the limits of Western pressure and reinforcing India’s space to act independently.

Double Standards on Oil: China Avoids Tariffs While India Gets Hit—Pushing RIC/BRICS Closer

Ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Summit, former U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman spoke on CNBC’s Squawk Box about the real-world effect of the tariffs on India’s choices. He explained how decades of U.S. efforts to keep India away from China were undone when the administration escalated duties. 

“The recent actions on tariffs have very much struck India by surprise to be among the highest tariff countries in the world… This is Modi’s first trip to China in seven years, and it’s a direct reaction to the fact that Us imposed these tariffs. They don’t feel they can rely on the United States as a strategic partner going forward, and they’re exploring their other options with China and the other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization… India’s been wondering why it’s facing a 25 percent tariff because of the oil it is buying from Russia, where China, which buys more oil from Russia, faces no such tariff,” Fronman said.

He added that while India and China still have many unresolved issues, their recent engagement is “a signal to the US and a very important domestic political signal for Modi that they are not going to be taken f or granted by the United States going forward.” The timing detail about Modi’s first China visit in seven years has also been discussed in recent international analysis, underscoring how the tariff shock changed New Delhi’s calculations.

India also understands why China appears to get a pass even though it buys the most Russian crude. China’s entrenched dominance in rare earth magnets—vital for many technologies—makes Washington wary of supply disruption. Reports detail China’s overwhelming share in mining, processing, and magnet manufacturing, and note how this leverage shapes policy choices in both capitals. Reflecting that leverage, Trump recently threatened a 200% tariff if Beijing curbed rare-earth magnet supply—while simultaneously signaling openness to bringing in 6 lakh (600,000) Chinese students to the U.S., a move widely reported and debated.

Meanwhile, multiple datasets confirm that China is the top buyer of Russian oil, reinforcing the double standard India points to when it is singled out for tariffs.

“Bromance” With Pakistan? U.S. Podcaster Slams Trump and Says Nobel Talk Was a “Bribe”

A popular American podcaster, “Speaknsee,” criticized European leaders for failing to engage Russia’s Vladimir Putin to end the war. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the “greatest of all time/G.O.A.T.” and compared approval ratings—most Western leaders below 50%, Trump at 45% positive, and Modi at 72%—to argue that the Indian leader retains strong public backing. He then faulted Trump’s “bromance” with Pakistan and told him to stop chasing the Nobel Peace Prize, adding that “there’s no way that a phone call (by Trump) offering a deal can stop something (India-Pakistan conflict) like that magnitude.” The same podcaster said Pakistan had “bribed” Trump by nominating him for the Nobel Prize, whereas Modi had never tried to bribe Trump to get his way. For context, major outlets have reported on Pakistan’s recent publicity around a Trump Nobel nomination and the controversy that followed. 

“Stupid or Desperate”: Economists Say Trump Is Forcing India and China Together—and Isolating the U.S.

On 31 August, a Dialogue Works discussion featuring American economists Richard D. Wolff and Michael Hudson drew over 3 lakh YouTube views and focused on White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro’s attacks on India—especially his claim framing the Russia-Ukraine conflict as “Modi’s war.”

Wolff called Navarro “not the sharpest knife in the drawer,” arguing that any country trading with Russia earns profits—that is how trade works—and noting Russia trades with over 100 countries but India gets singled out. He then said: “On that grounds, there should be an endless war of everybody against everybody because Mr. Mr. Putin would be able to say exactly the same thing about the United States and everybody who trades with the United States. You are providing uh profits for the United States which are taxed and used by the government to kill Russians in Ukraine.” He added that while Trump officials blame PM Modi and India for the war, the conflict’s path also runs through Washington, D.C., which pushed NATO to Russia’s borders. The broader point was clear: in trying to “punish” others—Canada and Mexico then, and India now—the U.S. is isolating itself.

Hudson, for his part, criticized the administration’s approach to India. He argued that American policy has ignored the political dimension that India has handled openly. He pointed out that both Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar have said the 50% import tariffs are an attack on India’s sovereignty and its freedom to trade. According to this analysis, PM Modi refuses Trump’s calls because Trump expects India to accept his terms—something Modi cannot do. Hudson also recalled how, since 1945, the U.S. has used food exports to make countries dependent and even carried out regime-change operations for its interests—saying Washington wants India to open its markets for American food. He asserted Modi will not comply, and that this standoff has pushed India toward China despite bilateral issues. “Trump has performed the act of peace by driving Russia and China together for the next generation. Trump has now driven India together with China and Russia,” he said.

Hudson further speculated that while India was once seen as the “weakest link” in BRICS due to its tech-sector links with the U.S., Trump’s failure to account for politics may now see Beijing and New Delhi partner to dominate equal halves of Silicon Valley. He highlighted the nationalist instincts of PM Modi and the Indian public, and argued that ignoring this has produced the opposite of what tariffs aimed to achieve. Wolff summed up the administration’s direction as either “desperate,” “stupid,” or a combination of both,” especially if it ends up uniting India and China, two future tech giants.

Conservative commentator Victor Davis Hanson also weighed in, noting that the U.S. and India have historically enjoyed good relations. He cited India’s geography and democracy as reasons it should be a counterweight to communist, autocratic China, and praised Indian immigrants in America as skilled and law-abiding. He said those ties soured after Trump imposed 50% tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. In his view, those tariffs nudged India and China closer together, while Russia has long been India’s ally. He also recalled that, historically, the U.S. often picked the wrong side—backing Islamic Pakistan over democratic India, which had Russia’s support. As he put it, “…my point is that it has strong ties historically with Russia and it’s developing ties with China and it’s pulling away from us (America)…”

How Trump’s Tariffs Shattered America’s Global Standing

In April this year, The Daily Show released a video titled “Trump’s Tariffs Ruined America’s Reputation. Does Anyone Still Respect Us?” The episode highlighted how Donald Trump had often repeated during his presidential campaign that, under his leadership, America would once again be “respected.” However, the reactions from around the world suggested a very different story.

Governments and citizens across countries such as China, France, Italy, Canada, Poland, Singapore, Germany, Australia, and even Britain have voiced the opposite view. Rather than building admiration, Trump’s tariff policies have damaged Washington’s global reputation. Far from restoring respect, the United States under Trump appears to have lost credibility in the eyes of many international partners.

Adding to this, YouTuber Tim Miller of The Bulwark criticized Trump for obsessing over trivial matters instead of focusing on policy. On 31 August, Trump had posted on Truth Social angrily blaming a contractor for allegedly damaging new stonework in the White House Rose Garden. Miller questioned why a sitting president would focus on landscaping complaints at a time of pressing global challenges and growing speculation about his declining health. He remarked that such misplaced priorities raise the question of whether Trump is even fit to serve as president.

Tariffs Rejected: Trump’s Presidency in Legal and Political Turmoil

American YouTuber Mallen Baker recently released a video sharply criticizing Trump’s reliance on tariffs as both an economic weapon and a political punishment tool. He pointed out that Trump used tariffs against India and Brazil not for sound economic reasoning but for political motives. Baker stressed that a U.S. court has ruled Trump exceeded his powers in imposing these duties. If the decision is upheld, the U.S. government would have to repay the tariffs, leaving Trump’s presidency in chaos and exposing America to global embarrassment.

The turmoil does not end there. Discontent among Trump’s base has also grown after he unexpectedly failed to deliver on a campaign promise—the release of the Epstein Files. Many of his followers see this as a broken commitment. One of his most visible backers, radio host Alex Jones, has openly lashed out at Trump over this reversal. Jones said that Trump’s movement, once rooted in populist energy, is now beginning to resemble a “cult.”

Fareed Zakaria Warns: “The Damage Is Done—India Will Never Trust the U.S.”

The seriousness of Trump’s tariff policy toward India has even been acknowledged by CNN journalist Fareed Zakaria, a frequent critic of Prime Minister Modi. Zakaria said that the consequences of Trump’s actions have gone beyond repair and that India will no longer trust the United States.

Two weeks ago, Zakaria remarked that Trump’s sudden and unexplained hostility to India reversed policies pursued under five U.S. administrations, including his own earlier one. “If it holds, this reversal may be the biggest strategic mistake of the Trump presidency so far,” he warned.

He also underlined how India had gradually aligned closer with America over the years, only for Trump to undo decades of careful diplomatic work. Zakaria noted that Trump’s second-term actions placed India in the highest tariff category of 12 countries—alongside Syria and Myanmar—while Pakistan was placed at just 19%. At the same time, Trump even offered Islamabad joint efforts in oil exploration.

Zakaria pointed out that Trump hosted a lunch for Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, and that a Trump family-linked firm had struck a crypto deal with Pakistan’s newly created National Crypto Council. Meanwhile, he continued to call India’s thriving economy “dead.” As Zakaria concluded, “India had slowly but surely been embracing closer ties with America. No more. Even if Trump reverses course once again, the damage is done. The country is united in its shock and anger at Trump’s insulting behaviour.”

Indeed, the fallout is clear. Indians have not forgotten Trump’s “dead economy” insult or the anti-India rhetoric spread by his advisers Peter Navarro and Scott Bessent, who accused New Delhi of profiteering from the war in Ukraine, even though the U.S. itself has profited most.

Trump’s refusal to release the Epstein Files had already sparked discontent. Now, the wider consequences of his tariff policy—reviving the **Russia-India-China troika, consolidating BRICS, and needlessly antagonizing India, a key counterweight to China—**have further eroded his popularity at home. The irony is hard to miss: Trump’s campaign promised MAGA, “Make America Great Again,” but his actions have left critics saying he delivered “Make Asia Great Again.”