There’s something about Donald Trump’s outbursts against India, which even benchmarked by his own standards, feel more unhinged than usual. Particularly revealing is the so-called threat of penalty against India for purchasing oil from Russia, as if India were a recalcitrant schoolkid and the American President our class monitor.

There is zero ideology at play here.

Until a few months ago, Trump called Vladimir Putin smart and a friend. He thought nothing of shouting, as cameras captured it all, at Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s President, inside the Oval Office. And let’s not forget that in his first election, his political opponents accused his campaign of being influenced by Russia. Trump has been dreaming of a rare earths deal with either Kyiv or Moscow.

So to hector India on relations with Russia is not just out of line; it’s a display of staggering hypocrisy.

Trump’s attacks on India — the uncouth language and sneering style — seem to be personally motivated, well beyond the stated aim of rebalancing US trade numbers. If one were to borrow from the language of therapy and gender studies, these are the irrational rants of a bruised male ego hell bent on gaslighting his partner with bullying tactics and fantastical claims.

What pushed Trump, never known for reasonableness, over the edge?

Trump’s obsessive fixation on his administration’s role in Operation Sindoor is positively........

© hindustantimes