Indian-American business leaders reacted in disbelief that Vice President JD Vance, married to Indian-origin Usha Vance, opposed the India-US trade deal, as revealed by Senator Ted Cruz during a private meeting with donors. The Indian lobby said Vance’s stand is nothing but a self-sabotage which he is doing only to appease the gropyers but at the cost of turning America’s most successful community into political enemies. In his address to the donors, Ted Cruz spoke about ‘battling’ the White House to accept a trade agreement with India. As the donors asked him who was stonewalling the deal, the Republican senator mentioned the names of economic adviser Peter Navarro, JD Vance and sometimes Trump. “@JDVance is picking a fight with Indian Americans. Congratulations, you’re turning one of America’s most successful, pro-law, pro-merit communities into political enemies. And you’re also insulting India, a key U.S. partner and a nation of 1.2 + billion people who have largely respected Trump and the Republican movement. It’s self-sabotage,” Indian-American Advocacy Council co-founder Sidharth said. Indian-American entrepreneur Ram Prasad commented that Trump and Navarro’s opposition to the US-India deal is understandable, but Vance’s is not. “One can understand why Trump was not in favor of the trade deal with India. Navarro is obvious. Vance scuttling it has no explanation other than his recently developed pretend hate towards Indians. To appease the groypers, he has to be anti Indians & by extension, anti-India,” Ram Prasad said.In the latest development on tariff, treasury secretary Scott Bessent signaled the potential removal of additional 25% tariffs on India as India’s purchase of Russian oil reduced. “Indian purchases by their refineries of Russian oil have collapsed. So that is a success. The tariffs are still on, 25% tariffs for Russian oil are still on. I would imagine there is a path to take them off,” Bessent said. India’s Russian oil imports in December dropped to their lowest in two years. Trade tensionsbetween India and the US escalated in August when Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50%, including a 25% levy in response to India’s imports of Russian crude.
