Today, the United States is home to a large Indian diaspora. In the past, European powers dominated the world through colonisation. Now, people from so-called third-world countries are asserting themselves in tier-one nations and shaping global conversations.By 2025, the role of Indian-origin leaders and activists in the US could not be ignored. Their influence weighed heavily on the policies and priorities of Donald Trump’s second term, which began in January 2024. Several Indian-Americans held top positions in the MAGA-dominated movement. Some rode the conservative wave, while others went against the tide. However, a handful stood out for their achievements, controversies and the political drama surrounding them.From the fallout of the Epstein files to ‘America First’ hardline push on H-1B visas, some figures repeatedly found themselves at the centre of major debates, making their presence and power clear.
Here are 10 Indian-Americans who made headlines in 2025:
Ro Khanna – The catalyst
Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna emerged as one of the rare desi figures in Washington who was able to move between hardened and isolated ideological camps without losing credibility.His most visible moment came around the renewed push to release the Epstein files in November, where Khanna worked quietly but persistently to keep pressure on leadership from both parties. Teaming up with libertarian Republican Thomas Massie, he helped frame the issue not as a partisan weapon but as a transparency test for Congress itself. That framing mattered. Progressives saw it as accountability for elite abuse, conservatives as a stand against institutional cover-ups.Khanna’s role was less about shining alone and more about alignment, keeping unlikely allies in the same lane long enough to force action. Beyond Epstein, he continued to position himself as a consensus-builder on civil liberties, tech oversight and executive power.
Shri Thanedar – The blunt weapon
If subtlety defined others, Shri Thanedar chose confrontation.The Michigan congressman became one of the most vocal Democrats calling for impeachment-related accountability within the Trump administration. Thanedar openly targeted MAGA figures he believed were the symbol of institutional failure. He called for War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s removal, urging DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to resign, and repeatedly insisting that Donald Trump himself should face impeachment.Thanedar turned himself into Congress’s most persistent irritant to the White House. Where party leadership avoided any direct confrontation, the Michigan Democrat kept filing paperwork others wouldn’t touch. He drafted impeachment articles, circulated resignation demands, and named names, not in interviews, but in formal congressional records. Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem and ultimately Donald Trump all found themselves on his list, accused by Thanedar of misconduct serious enough to warrant removal. Most of his efforts stalled before reaching a vote, but that didn’t slow him down. Each filing forced responses, statements and quiet distancing from colleagues who preferred silence.
Vivek Ramaswamy – The all-rounder
Vivek Ramaswamy moved between power and provocation with ease. After serving as a co-leader of the DOGE efficiency initiative alongside Elon Musk, a programme that drew criticism for delivering limited savings, he began laying the groundwork for a 2026 run for Ohio governor as the Republican frontrunner. The year also pushed him into cultural battles he did not seek out. When white nationalist Nick Fuentes used a racial slur against second lady Usha Vance, Ramaswamy publicly pushed back, making clear that race and ancestry do not decide who counts as American.That argument became a core part of his political message. Ramaswamy repeatedly said the American Dream is defined by belief and commitment, not bloodlines. White nationalist and MAGA critics have even called on him to self-deport, but Vivek is keen on his own idea of what a real American is. He wrote an NYT op-ed in which he directly addressed extremist factions like “groypers.” He called out those perpetuating hate and division in the Republican party do not deserve the title.Ramaswamy respects the American founding fathers and their Constitutional principles. He has quoted Ronald Reagan in his speeches: “You can live in France and not become French. You can live in Germany and not become German. But anyone, from anywhere, can come to America and become an American.”
Usha Vance – The Brown, Hindu second lady
Second lady Usha Vance did not seek attention in 2025, but it followed her anyway. As the Hindu, Brown, Indian-origin wife of vice president JD Vance, she became a central figure in debates triggered by her husband’s remarks on Christianity and American identity. Social media easily ruled out the comments as white nationalist rhetoric, while Hindu-American groups were concerned about Usha’s individual faith and security. The row became worse when Usha appeared at public events without her wedding ring, which was not perceived well by the media and put personal and political strain. Wherever JD Vance went, the same question trailed him. Would the United States accept an Indian-origin first lady if he ran for president in 2028?JD Vance eventually shut down any rumours and addressed the controversy, publicly affirming his love for his wife and stepping back from earlier comments about religious conversion. Usha herself has stayed silent on the issue. Her background has made some hard-right MAGA supporters uncomfortable, pushing JD Vance’s team to rethink strict nationalist messages, even though she never spoke publicly or got involved.
Nalin Haley – The youngest MAGA loudmouth
At just 24, Nalin Haley became one of the loudest young voices in the modern GOP and one of its most polarising. In 2025, he went viral for his uncompromising stance against immigration, both legal and illegal. He called for a complete ban on H-1B visas, rejected dual citizenship, and dismissed concerns about Indians stuck in visa backlogs by saying they were “not stranded in their own country.” His rhetoric angered immigrant communities but gained support among a growing ‘America First’ nationalist base.Haley aligned himself more closely with JD Vance than with Donald Trump, insisting the Republican Party needed a clear ideology instead of transactional politics. He wants immigrants to assimilate into American culture or leave the country. No ifs, ands, or buts.His mother, Nikki Haley and former US Ambassador to the United Nations, has long supported legal, merit‑based immigration and a pro‑American foreign policy, using her own Indian‑American immigrant parents’ story as an example. Her son Nalin’s views are further right and the youngster says his only loyalty is to the United States.
Zohran Mamdani – The Bollywood-loving ‘nepo baby’
Zohran Mamdani’s rise in New York politics defied almost every expectation placed on him. The muslim mayor-elect openly calls himself a “nepo baby.”The socialists’ campaign fused hard-left economic messaging with street-level organizing. He spoke directly to renters, transit workers, and younger voters who were living paycheck to paycheck in America’s wealthiest city.The pro-Palestinian leader’s ability to evolve was uncanny. He went from defund-the-police rhetoric to engagement with a strongly pro-Israel police commissioner. Right-wing activist and White House reporter Laura Loomer has called Mamdani a “jihadi.” However, Donald Trump, the MAGA chief himself, criticised the attack, an unusual moment of defence from the White House. The US president had himself called Zohran a “Communist” before his NYC win.Mamdani ended his victory speech not with slogans but with Bollywood music rather than slogans after he defeated independent candidate and former governor Andrew Cuomo.The socialist was born to an acclaimed Indian‑born filmmaker, Mira Nair, and a respected academic, Mahmood Mamdani. NYC was a Blue city already, but Mamdani made it a bit red, and not the Republican version.
Pramila Jayapal – The shadow operator
Pramila Jayapal spent 2025 doing what she does best, holding power to account when others stayed quiet. As a ranking member of the House immigration subcommittee, she staged shadow hearings to expose the human cost of deportation policies. She introduced the WISE Act to protect immigrant survivors of violence, pushed back against excessive defence spending, and demanded accountability from regulators she said were shielding corporate interests.Jayapal drew on her own 17-year journey to citizenship to challenge claims that legal immigration is easy. She led congressional efforts to call out human rights abuses and spoke against government shutdowns and labour rollbacks.Jayapal expanded her influence beyond immigration hearings. She denounced denaturalisation quotas and criticised prolonged government shutdowns for harming federal workers. She led protests, called ICE a “terrorist force,” and co-introduced legislation to improve detention conditions, where people have died under harsh circumstances.
Raja Krishnamoorthi – The H1-B propagator
While some NRI politicians tried to get approval from their American counterparts, Raja Krishnamoorthi focused on policy and was one of the sole warriors fighting for Indian representation in the US.The Congressman pushed economic and immigration arguments rooted in competitiveness rather than identity. He proposed doubling the H-1B visa cap and warned that tariffs could strain US-India ties. At the same time, he supported cultural representation by introducing a resolution recognising Tamil Language and Heritage Month and speaking out against violence targeting religious minorities in Bangladesh.He reintroduced the HIRE Act, a bill designed to expand the annual H‑1B cap from 65,000 to 130,000 and encourage investments in American STEM education to keep the tech workforce competitive globally. The move came after the Trump administration proposed a huge fee hike and an overhaul of the visa lottery. But Krishnamoorthi was fearful that skilled international workers would be shut out, and this would eventually result in the collapse of the American economy.
Asha Jadeja Motwani – The negotiator
Asha Jadeja Motwani occupied a strange but powerful space in the Trump administration — not elected, not appointed, yet impossible to ignore. The Silicon Valley venture capitalist claimed she played a role in softening Donald Trump’s hardline stance on H-1B visas, using personal access rather than policy papers. Her closeness to MAGA bigwigs raised eyebrows: golf games with Trump, ideological alignment with JD Vance, and blunt statements defending America as a Christian nation.She was met with bipartisan criticism, which questioned the contradiction of an Indian-origin investor backing nationalist rhetoric.Motwani said that being proud of your culture, not losing it, is important for living together, often comparing it to Hindu identity in India. She has told her followers that she had been “battling for India in Washington DC,” arguing that top global talent drives US innovation and that the US should remain open to exceptional engineers and entrepreneurs. She has backed more than 100 startups and runs the Motwani Jadeja Foundation.
Kash Patel – The Pariah
Kash Patel became the ninth director of the FBI in February 2025 by a narrow vote of 51 to 49. He is the first Indian‑origin director of the FBI, and his appointment was seen as a symbolic moment for Indian‑American representation in national security.Patel pledged to make the FBI more transparent, accountable, and focused on law enforcement. He publicly stated his mission as rebuilding trust in the agency under President Trump, which was lost under the Biden administration, according to him.Kash Patel’s tenure was marked by several high‑profile controversies as well as public outrage over his handling of sensitive investigations. He faced backlash for using an FBI‑owned jet to visit his country music singer girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, including attending her performances and personal trips. Patel was also criticised for assigning FBI SWAT agents to protect his girlfriend, with former bureau officials calling the move unnecessary.Inside the FBI, agents questioned Patel’s hasty decisions, including premature public announcements on sensitive cases that risked compromising investigations. His policy shift was also rapid. Before swearing in as the FBI director, Kash had called for the full transparency of the Epstein files. However, as soon as he was appointed, he paid little to no attention to the infamous documents, leading to accusations that he was covering up a matter of national security. Go to Source
