To Counter China, Rebuild U.S.-India Ties” – Nikki Haley and Top Analyst Warn Trump
Nikki Haley urges Donald Trump to mend strained US-India ties, warning that tariffs and neglecting India could boost China and create a strategic disaster.
In a recent interview with journalist Barkha Dutt on Mojo Story, Bill Drexel, a top U.S. analyst from the Hudson Institute who co-authored a Newsweek piece with Nikki Haley, warned about the consequences of former President Donald Trump’s ongoing tariff war and shifting foreign policy stance towards India. Drexel and Haley had earlier cautioned that pushing India away could lead to a stronger China-Russia-India alignment, weakening America’s strategic position.
Drexel said Trump’s approach — marked by high tariffs, public criticism, and lack of diplomatic protocol — is driving a wedge between the U.S. and India at a critical time. He noted that images of Indian Prime Minister Modi engaging with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at recent summits showed India asserting its strategic autonomy. Drexel explained that India feels insulted by Trump’s preemptive announcements on India-Pakistan issues and his restrictions on Russian oil purchases, which seem to overlook China’s much larger imports.
While acknowledging Trump’s volatile and theatrical style, Drexel stressed that India remains essential if the U.S. plans a future trade war with China. He called for building stronger India expertise in Washington and urged direct talks between Trump and Modi to repair ties.
Barkha Dutt concluded that India’s outreach to China may be tactical, not strategic, but warned that without repairs, temporary tactics could harden into lasting shifts, leaving U.S.–India ties at a crossroads.
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