Ex-US NSA John Bolton Criticises Trump’s Tariffs On India, Says ‘He Has Lost Strategic Picture’

Last Updated:September 30, 2025, 10:37 IST

Bolton has once again criticised Trump over his imposition of tariffs on India, stating that he has “lost the bigger strategic picture”. 

Former US NSA John Bolton has criticised the Trump administration’s tariffs on India. (Image: AP/File)

Former United States National Security Advisor John Bolton has once again criticised US President Donald Trump over his imposition of tariffs on India, stating that he has “lost the bigger strategic picture”. 

“Trump has lost the bigger strategic picture. I think he has done it again by sanctioning India. He hasn’t gone after Russia directly or China, which buys more Russian oil than India,” Bolton said.

Bolton, who became a vocal critic of Donald Trump after serving as his national security adviser, had earlier said that India’s approach of staying largely silent and relying on back-channel diplomacy regarding US tariffs was “the best way to deal” with Trump.

“I think that’s the best way to deal with somebody like Trump. If you take the bait and get into a public back-and-forth with him, it’s not going to make things any easier,” Bolton said, referring to India’s restrained approach on tariff disputes during Trump’s presidency.

Bolton had also asserted that Trump’s tariffs had “shredded” decades of Western efforts to align India away from its Cold War ties with the Soviet Union and addressed the growing threat from China.

John Bolton is a former American government official who served as national security adviser to Donald Trump in his first stint as US President. He later resigned from his position over differences with Trump on the administration’s foreign policy at that time.

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