Peter Navarro's Fresh Rant On X: Accuses India Of 'Blood Money'; Users Flag Content

Washington: US President Donald Trump's trade advisor Peter Navarro, in a bizarre and hypocritical outburst, launched an attack on X after the platform fact-checked his claim that India is profiteering from Russian oil. Navarro's accusations have been met with massive criticism, with many users labelling his remarks as hypocritical and bizarre. He has accused India of profiteering from Russian oil, calling it "blood money". 

Navarro's claims were immediately fact-checked by X community contributors, who pointed out that India's oil imports are legal, sovereign purchases for energy security and do not violate sanctions.

The controversy began when Navarro claimed that India didn't buy Russian oil in large quantities before Russia invaded Ukraine. He wrote, "More bullshit from X. Fact: India didn't buy Russian oil in large quantities before Russia invaded Ukraine. It's blood money and people are dying." However, X community contributors corrected Navarro's statements, pointing out that India's oil imports are legal, sovereign purchases for energy security and do not violate sanctions.

Navarro's tweet triggered a row, with many X users flagging his content as misleading. The community contributors corrected Navarro's statements, outlining that the US itself continued to import Russian commodities, such as uranium, and maintains a services trade surplus with India. One note read, "India's sovereign, legal oil imports do not violate international law." Another called Navarro's claim “hypocritical”.

Despite the corrections, Navarro dismissed the facts and targeted Elon Musk, the owner of X.

Earlier, he started a poll and got a serious fact-check by X users, “On earlier post, you can see Indian special interests trying to interfere with domestic dialogue with lies about India buying Russian oil.  Should X present this crap as comments from "diverse viewpoints"?”

Trump's Trade Advisor Navarro's accusations against India are particularly ironic, given the US's own track record on Russian imports. An energy analyst challenged Navarro's claims, stating that India's petroleum exports are virtually the same as before the Ukraine war. He explained that the shifts in India's oil imports are better explained as a re-routing of global supply chains, rather than a profiteering scheme.

Elon Musk's Response To Navarro's Claims

Elon Musk indirectly responded to the criticism, underlining the platform's action of fact-checking and allowing diverse viewpoints. Musk wrote, "On this platform, the people decide the narrative. You hear all sides of an argument. Community Notes corrects everyone, no exceptions. Notes, data, and code are public sources. Grok provides further fact-checking."

In the meantime, Navarro's rant has drawn massive criticism, with many X users questioning his motives and credibility. A poll run by Navarro himself asked if X should allow comments from diverse viewpoints, with nearly 79% of respondents voting "yes".