Navarro's India post gets fact-checked on X, Musk says 'you hear all sides'

Peter Navarro's post blaming India over Russian oil imports was flagged by X's community notes, sparking his angry response, while Elon Musk defended the platform's fact-check system

X owner Elon Musk defended the platform’s fact-checking feature after US President Donald Trump’s aide Peter Navarro lashed out over his anti-India post being corrected.

 

Without naming Navarro directly, Musk said community notes apply equally to everyone. “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 is public source. Grok provides further fact-checking,” Musk posted on X.

 

  Navarro’s anti-India post sparks fact-check

 

Navarro, Trump’s senior counsellor for trade and manufacturing, accused India of “profiteering” from Russian oil imports while also claiming that high Indian tariffs cost Americans their jobs.

 

“FACTS: India highest tariffs costs US jobs. India buys Russian oil purely to profit/Revenues feed Russia war machine. Ukrainians/Russians die. U.S. taxpayers shell out more. India can’t handle truth/spins,” Navarro wrote on X.

 

  The post was quickly flagged by community notes, which said India’s oil purchases are driven by “energy security” and do not breach sanctions. It also highlighted that the US continues importing Russian commodities like uranium, exposing what it called a “clear double standard".

 

One note further clarified, “India’s legal, sovereign purchases of Russian oil for energy security do not violate international law.”     

 

Navarro hits back at Musk and X

 

Navarro dismissed the fact-checks as “crap notes” and accused Musk of allowing “propaganda".

 

“Wow. @elonmusk is letting propaganda into people’s posts. That crap note below is just that. Crap. India buys Russian oil solely to profiteer. It didn’t buy any before Russia invaded Ukraine. Indian govt spin machine moving high tilt. Stop killing Ukrainians. Stop taking American jobs,” he wrote.

 

He later claimed “foreign interests” were using X to interfere in US debates and even launched a poll asking if the platform should allow such notes. But a majority of respondents sided with X’s community notes.

 

Navarro’s attacks on India

 

This is not Navarro’s first attack on India. He has repeatedly criticised New Delhi since Trump imposed steep tariffs on Indian exports, raising duties to over 50 per cent — the highest among Trump’s fresh trade penalties after Brazil.     

 

  Following the tariffs, Navarro blamed India for fuelling the Ukraine war, called its oil purchases a “profiteering scheme", and even labelled the country a “laundromat for the Kremlin”.

 

India-US tensions amid trade tariffs

 

Trump’s additional 25 per cent duties on Indian imports took effect on August 27. Soon after, Navarro described the Russia-Ukraine war as “Modi’s war".

 

Days later, Trump said that the US had “lost India to China", though he later said that India-US ties remained “very special”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi echoed the sentiment, saying he “fully reciprocates” Trump’s words.