It is part of Donald Trump’s personality to make seemingly insane remarks that defy logic and truth. Trump is no stranger to lies and outright falsities—he has spread these on umpteen occasions throughout his public life. The Washington Post documented over 10,000 false or misleading statements during his previous presidency. What is truly surprising, however, is India’s opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi, taking all of Donald Trump’s claims at face value.

Trump has claimed 29 times now that he stopped the India-Pakistan flare-up using trade as a leverage. India has categorically denied any such mediation from the US. Yet, the Congress ecosystem has decided to go by the words of a ‘gora’ president instead of their own prime minister and government.

The pattern of Trump’s dishonesty is well-documented. From inflating statistics on immigration and crime to exaggerating crowd sizes and misrepresenting trade policies, Trump’s relationship with truth has always been transactional. His approach to foreign policy follows the same playbook—make outrageous claims, dominate the news cycle and use the resulting chaos as leverage for his broader objectives.

The Defence Sales Gambit

As far as Trump is concerned, his rants pertaining to India are driven by a clear desire to coerce New Delhi into buying high-end American weaponry. The timing of his claims coincides perfectly with ongoing discussions about India’s fifth-generation fighter jet requirements. While Russia has offered its Su-57 stealth fighter for local production in India, the United States has been pushing its F-35 as an alternative. However, for India, the economic equation matters as much as the strategic one. After all, the F35 are dramatically more expensive than the Su-57 and operate best only under a NATO-grade system of systems.

By amplifying drama around India-Pakistan tensions and claiming credit for de-escalation, Trump is signaling that India’s decision to........

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