‘No evidence, no funds’: US Embassy rubbishes Trump’s ‘$21 million for voter turnout in India’ claim
The United States Embassy in India has categorically denied former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) allocated $21 million for voter turnout initiatives in India. In a detailed communication with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Embassy clarified that USAID neither received nor disbursed any such funds between fiscal years 2014 and 2024, nor did it undertake any voter turnout-related activities in the country.
The controversy erupted in February 2025 when US President Trump, citing a review by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), claimed that USAID had been funding electoral and voter-related projects worldwide. In his remarks, Trump specifically mentioned that India was among the beneficiaries, with $21 million earmarked to “increase voter turnout.” His assertion sparked immediate concerns in New Delhi, leading the MEA to demand a comprehensive explanation from Washington.
On 28 February 2025, the MEA formally requested the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi to provide a detailed breakdown of all USAID-assisted projects undertaken in India over the past decade. The Ministry also sought clarity on expenditure patterns, implementing partners, and whether any activities linked to voter mobilization had been executed.
In its response on 2 July 2025, the U.S. Embassy submitted data covering a decade of USAID funding in India. According to the Embassy, all programs were strictly within the framework of seven Partnership Agreements signed with the Government of India, focusing primarily on development cooperation, health, education, energy, and governance reforms.
The Embassy insisted: “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 reiterated this stance in a subsequent communication on 29 July 2025, informing the MEA that all USAID operations in India would cease by 15 August 2025 following the Biden administration’s decision to dissolve the agency worldwide. On 11 August 2025, in a letter to the Department of Economic Affairs, the Embassy confirmed that all seven existing Partnership Agreements with India had officially been terminated.
The denial assumes significance against the backdrop of Trump’s earlier statements, which suggested widespread misuse of U.S. foreign aid for political influence abroad. His claims were part of a broader narrative that emerged after Executive Order 14169, signed in January 2025, initiated a sweeping review of all U.S. foreign assistance programs. While DOGE did announce the cancellation of $486 million in USAID funding for the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) projects globally, the Embassy in New Delhi has now made it unequivocally clear that no part of that allocation was directed toward India.
The Embassy also released a beneficiary-wise breakdown of allocations for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024, thereby dispelling any lingering doubts about claims made by Trump. Officials emphasised that all USAID operations in India were development-focused and fully transparent, with no involvement in the electoral or political processes of the country.
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