From Trump to Turmoil: Rahul Gandhi Divides Congress Again
As Bharat Rises, Rahul Gandhi Falls Out of Step — How the Congress Scion’s Echo of Trump’s ‘Dead Economy’ Jibe Has Sparked Internal Revolt, National Outrage, and Renewed Doubts About His Leadership
Paromita Das
New Delhi, 2nd August: In the heat of political one-upmanship, words can become weapons. But when those words align more with foreign antagonists than with the aspirations of 1.4 billion Bharatiya, they can also become political suicide. That’s the lesson unfolding in real time for Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party’s Leader of Opposition, after he inexplicably endorsed former U.S. President Donald Trump’s characterization of Bharat’s economy as “dead.”
The fallout has been swift and brutal. What began as a throwaway line outside Parliament quickly mushroomed into a full-blown crisis—drawing not only condemnation from the ruling BJP but also open disapproval from within Gandhi’s own ranks. Suddenly, the Congress party, long held together by the glue of Gandhi family authority, finds itself split on a fundamental question: Can it afford Rahul Gandhi’s brand of politics any longer?
From Trump’s Tariff Tirade to Rahul’s Echo Chamber
Just hours after Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Bharatiya imports and posted a scathing remark accusing Bharat and Russia of running “dead economies,” Rahul Gandhi added fuel to the fire. Speaking to the press, he said:
“He is right, everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact.”
Trump’s full statement was no less biting:
“I don’t care what Bharat does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care… Their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world.”
In choosing to echo a foreign leader’s anti-Bharat rhetoric—especially one known for undermining allies with transactional diplomacy—Gandhi didn’t just criticize the Modi government. He appeared to deride the entire Bharatiya economy, which has been acknowledged globally as among the fastest-growing.
Tharoor, Chidambaram, Tewari, Shukla—Congress Voices Refuse to Fall in Line
Rather than rally around their leader, several prominent Congress MPs broke ranks, signaling internal discomfort. Shashi Tharoor took a diplomatic yet firm line, highlighting Bharat’s strength in diversification and self-reliance, stating the country isn’t as dependent on exports as China and has significant bargaining power.
Karti Chidambaram advised calm, noting Trump’s unorthodox style and calling for strategic patience. His remarks suggested that Gandhi’s reaction was both premature and tone-deaf to geopolitical nuance.
Manish Tewari used the opportunity to revisit Bharat’s legacy of strategic autonomy, drawing a straight line from Nehru’s non-alignment to Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat. Tewari’s message was clear: Trump’s words may sting, but Bharat’s independent trajectory remains undeterred—and Rahul Gandhi would do well to remember that.
Rajeev Shukla delivered perhaps the strongest rebuke. Calling Trump’s claim “delusional,” Shukla defended the reforms initiated by PV Narasimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Manmohan Singh. He emphasized continuity across administrations—a national project of growth that cannot be reduced to partisan bickering.
Even Congress allies weren’t willing to back Gandhi. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi dismissed the “dead economy” label as arising from “arrogance or ignorance,” underscoring Bharat’s position among the world’s top five economies.
Rahul Gandhi’s Isolation Is Now the Congress Party’s Dilemma
The most damning fallout from this episode isn’t the criticism from BJP leaders—it’s the silence or opposition from Rahul Gandhi’s own camp. The party’s unified front has cracked, and for good reason. Gandhi’s repeated missteps—from his Adani obsession to his refusal to acknowledge judicial outcomes like the Malegaon blast verdict—have made him appear disconnected from both legal facts and national sentiment.
This is no longer about ideology. It’s about a leader whose instinctive response to global events appears to mirror foreign critiques rather than project domestic strength. The Congress party, once a bastion of Bharatiya nationalism, now finds itself being steered by a man whose every statement distances the party further from mainstream voters.
The internal resistance now brewing is more than a policy disagreement—it is a crisis of leadership. Gandhi’s hold on the party, once presumed absolute, now looks shaky as senior leaders push back, openly or otherwise.
When Criticism Becomes Collusion
A healthy democracy thrives on opposition. But there’s a line between dissent and disloyalty. By aligning with Trump’s economic insult, Rahul Gandhi didn’t just criticize Narendra Modi—he undercut Bharat’s position on the global stage. It’s a self-inflicted wound that invites the question: If the Leader of Opposition agrees with Bharat’s detractors, who will defend the nation’s interests?
More troubling is Gandhi’s selective nationalism. He invokes patriotism when attacking domestic policies, but when foreign powers mock the nation’s progress, he nods in agreement. This inconsistency isn’t just poor politics—it’s perceived betrayal.
Bharat Deserves Better—And So Does Congress
Bharat is not a “dead economy.” It is a resilient, rapidly growing nation navigating global headwinds with strategic foresight. The data backs it, international institutions acknowledge it, and its people feel it. For a senior political leader to deny this reality in lockstep with a foreign adversary is not only irresponsible—it is dangerous.
Rahul Gandhi’s misstep may go down as one of his most consequential. But for Congress, this could be the wake-up call it desperately needs. Leadership comes with responsibility—not just to party ideology, but to national dignity. As Bharat rises, it demands leaders who rise with it—not those who cheer from the sidelines when others try to pull it down.
