Khanna Warns US-India Trust Has Frayed Under Trump

For many Indian families, America is not just a foreign policy partner. It is a child’s campus, a first job, a dollar salary, or a startup dream.

That is why Ro Khanna’s sharp attack on Donald Trump lands beyond Washington’s conference rooms. The Indian-American Congressman said Trump has dragged the US-India relationship to its weakest point in 30 years.

He was speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Leadership Summit in Washington. His charge was simple: Trump has damaged trust, visas, talent flows, and America’s moral authority.

Khanna’s blunt warning on trust

Khanna said the relationship has hit its lowest level in three decades. That is a strong claim, because India and America have survived several rough patches.

They argued over nuclear tests in 1998. They disagreed over Iraq. They have sparred over trade, farm subsidies, Russia, and visas.

Yet Khanna’s point was not about one argument. He said Trump has weakened the very trust that made both sides work through disagreements.

He said an Indian envoy in China told him that a generation of trust had been lost. Khanna used that line to underline the depth of the damage.

In diplomacy, trust is not a soft word. It decides whether countries share intelligence, open markets, sign defence deals, and back each other in crises.

For India, this matters because America remains central to technology, education, defence, and investment. For America, India is the big democratic counterweight in Asia.

Khanna’s warning was really about predictability. Countries can handle tough partners. They struggle with partners who change direction without warning.

Iran, fuel and Indian wallets

Khanna also linked Trump’s Iran policy to Indian fuel prices. He said the approach had hurt petrol and gas costs in India.

That line will make sense to many Indian households. A jump in oil prices does not stay at the petrol pump.

It raises transport costs. It pushes up vegetable prices. It makes flights costlier. It quietly eats into monthly budgets.

India imports most of its crude oil. So trouble in West Asia often reaches Indian homes faster than most people expect.

Khanna argued that Trump’s military posture toward Iran had been destructive. He said anyone doubting it should speak to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

The larger point is clear. Foreign policy is not some distant chessboard. It can decide what an office commuter pays for fuel.

It can also shape inflation. When oil climbs, businesses pass on costs. Families then pay more for daily goods.

This is why Indian governments watch West Asia so closely. Millions of Indians work there. India also depends on the region for energy.

So when an American leader takes a hard line in that region, New Delhi has to calculate the domestic cost.

Visa anxiety hits young Indians

Khanna’s strongest attack came on immigration and student visas. He accused Trump of demonising immigrants and turning talent away.

For Indian families, this is deeply personal. A US university admit often represents years of coaching, savings, loans, and paperwork.

Parents do not only pay tuition. They also bet on the idea that America rewards skill and hard work.

If visa rules look hostile, that bet becomes risky. Students then think about Canada, Britain, Australia, Europe, or staying in India.

The same fear applies to young engineers and researchers. Many plan careers around work visas after graduation.

Khanna said Trump fails to understand how talent drives American strength. He pointed to artificial intelligence as the clearest example.

He said 38 percent of top AI researchers are of Chinese origin. He also said 72 percent have foreign degrees.

His argument was not emotional. It was economic. If America pushes away skilled people, it weakens its own future.

This matters to India in two ways. Indian talent has long helped build American technology firms.

At the same time, India now wants more of that talent to build companies at home. Visa fear may speed that shift.

That may sound good for India at first. But it also complicates a long-running bridge between the two countries.

Indian professionals in America send money home. They start companies. They fund startups. They connect investors and engineers across both markets.

If that pipeline narrows, the pain will not sit only in Silicon Valley. It will reach Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Gurgaon, and Chennai too.

America’s image takes a hit

Khanna also attacked Trump’s broader view of power. He said America had moved toward a “might makes right” approach.

He referred to Trump’s positions on Iran, Cuba, and Greenland. His complaint was that America no longer looked like a steady moral leader.

That may sound like Washington talk. But image matters in global politics.

India does not want a weak America. It also does not want an America that bullies friends and rivals alike.

New Delhi has spent years building ties with Washington while keeping space for Russia, Iran, and others.

That balancing act becomes harder when America looks unpredictable. It forces India to hedge more openly.

Khanna’s comments also carried domestic American politics. He called Trump a lame duck and predicted Democratic wins in the midterms and in 2028.

Those predictions may or may not hold. But the politics behind his remarks is obvious.

He wants Indian-American voters, students, founders, and policy hands to see Trump as bad for both countries.

Still, the broader question goes beyond party lines. Can America remain attractive while tightening doors on the very people who power its economy?

That question matters to every Indian family planning an education loan. It matters to every founder chasing US capital.

It also matters to every policymaker in Delhi who wants defence and technology ties without sudden shocks.

The US-India relationship has never been a fairy tale. It has always mixed warmth, suspicion, ambition, and hard bargaining. Khanna’s warning is that Trump has made the bargain feel less reliable. For ordinary Indians, the test will be simple: cheaper fuel, fair visas, steady jobs, and a relationship that does not turn family plans into geopolitical collateral.