USAID Did Not Fund $21 Million for Voter Turnout in India, US Embassy Counters Trump Claim

New Delhi: The US Embassy in India has clarified that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) did not fund voter turnout initiatives in India, directly contradicting President Donald Trump’s claims of a $21 million allocation. 

The issue surfaced during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha when CPI(M) MP Dr. John Brittas raised a query about reports suggesting USAID resources were used to influence voter turnout in Indian elections. In response, Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, confirmed that data shared by the US Embassy revealed no such funding.

“The information received from the Embassy shows that USAID did not provide any funds for any election-related activity in India, nor was there any entry of $21 million in the list of India-related grants,” Kirti Vardhan Singh stated.

The Embassy further clarified in writing that “USAID/India did not receive or provide funding of $21 million for voter turnout in India from fiscal years 2014 to 2024, nor has it implemented any voter turnout-related activities in India.”

U.S. Administration’s decision to close down USAID operations worldwide

On 20 January 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14169 to review all US foreign aid programs. This resulted in a 90-day freeze on USAID-funded activities, followed by the elimination of over 5,000 projects. By March, the administration notified Congress of its intent to dissolve USAID entirely, with residual functions being absorbed by the State Department’s Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy.

Effective 1 July 2025, 83% of USAID programs were terminated and most of its global workforce laid off. 

On 29 July 2025, the U.S. Embassy conveyed to MEA that it plans to bring all USAID operations to a close by 15 August 2025. On 11 August 2025, the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, in a letter to the Department of Economic Affairs, conveyed that all seven Partnership Agreements signed with the Government of India would stand closed with effect from 15 August 2025. The final closure of USAID is scheduled for 2 September 2025.

USAID and the issue of “Voter Turnout” in India

The controversy originated in February 2025 when the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced the cancellation of $486 million in USAID funding for election-related projects worldwide, including what it described as a $21 million allocation for boosting voter turnout in India.

Following this, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) sought detailed information from the US Embassy about USAID activities in India over the past decade. The data shared on 2 July 2025 and subsequent clarifications in August made it clear that no such voter turnout-related program ever existed in India.

Trump’s Remarks

Despite these clarifications, Trump reiterated the claim at a summit in Miami last week, suggesting that US taxpayer money had been used to interfere in India’s elections.

“Why do we need to spend $21 million on voter turnout in India? I guess they (the Biden administration) were trying to get somebody else elected. This is a total breakthrough,” Trump said, defending DOGE’s move to cut the alleged funding.

He further suggested that the so-called expenditure reflected attempts by the “deep state” to meddle in Indian democracy, remarks that have fueled debate but now stand directly at odds with the US Embassy’s official position.

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