Trump claims that USAID interfered in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

Published on: February 20, 2025 - USAID has become a focal point of controversy in India after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that $21 million in U.S. aid, intended to boost voter turnout, was possibly used to influence the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and facilitate a regime change. Trump’s statement follows a revelation by Elon Musk-led DOGE, which announced on February 16 that it was canceling the $21 million in taxpayer-funded aid meant for increasing voter turnout in India. This has sparked widespread debate, raising serious concerns about foreign interference in Indian elections. The BJP intensified its attack on the Congress, asserting that Trump’s revelations confirm Rahul Gandhi and his party’s alignment with global networks seeking to undermine India’s strategic and geopolitical interests. The Congress dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims of USAID funds being used to interfere in India’s elections as “nonsensical.