“Colossal Blunder”: US Expert Slams Trump’s Tariffs on India

• John Mearsheimer calls Trump’s India tariffs a “colossal blunder.”
• Says secondary sanctions over Russian oil imports “won’t work.”
• Warns US has “poisoned” ties with India, pushing Modi closer to China & Russia.
• Claims Trump tried calling PM Modi four times, but Modi refused to respond.

GG News Bureau
Washington, 2nd Sept: John Mearsheimer, a prominent American international relations scholar and Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, has termed the Trump administration’s India policy a “colossal blunder,” warning that secondary tariffs on India for buying Russian oil “won’t work.”

Speaking on the podcast Daniel Davis Deep Dive last week, Mearsheimer said the Trump administration had “poisoned” what was once a strong and strategically vital relationship.

“This is a colossal blunder on our part. Secondary sanctions won’t work with India. The Indians have made it clear they will not cut off oil imports from Russia. Indians are not going to cave,” he said.

Mearsheimer stressed that good ties with New Delhi were critical for Washington’s broader Indo-Pacific strategy against China, but Trump’s tariff war had backfired.

“When Trump entered the White House in January, US-India relations were really terrific. For containing China, having good relations with India is essential. But with these sanctions, we have poisoned relations with India,” he added.

The academic also cited a German newspaper report that claimed President Trump had unsuccessfully tried to call Prime Minister Narendra Modi four times.

“The Indians are furious with us. Modi refuses to take Trump’s calls. Moreover, Modi is moving closer to the Chinese and Russians. So, not only does this policy fail, it is counterproductive,” he warned.

Criticism of Peter Navarro’s Strategy

Mearsheimer directly targeted Peter Navarro, the White House Senior Advisor on Trade and Manufacturing, accusing him of leading a failed approach.

“There’s nobody applauding this move except Navarro. I don’t understand how this has a happy ending. Are they going to argue India will cave? Everything India has done so far proves that argument wrong,” he said.