Trump sidelined India to do family business with Pakistan: Ex-Biden adviser

Ex-Biden adviser Jake Sullivan accused Trump of undermining US-India ties to favour Pakistan for family business, warning of global trust erosion

Former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that US President Donald Trump jeopardised America’s longstanding strategic partnership with India in favour of personal business interests involving Pakistan.

 

In an interview with a YouTube channel, Sullivan, who served under former President Joe Biden, argued that Trump’s handling of key international relationships has left allies uncertain and sceptical of US commitments.

‘Trump has thrown India over the side’

Sullivan said successive administrations from both parties had worked over decades to strengthen ties with India, emphasising shared interests in technology, trade, and talent, as well as countering China. He warned that those gains with the world’s largest democracy were now being jeopardised under Trump’s presidency.

 

 

“Now, in no small part because of Pakistan’s willingness to do business deals with the Trump family, Trump has thrown the India relationship over the side,” Sullivan said. “That is a huge strategic harm in its own right because a strong US-India relationship serves our interests.”  ALSO READ | India offered to cut tariffs on US goods to 'nothing', says Donald Trump

Trump’s Pakistan tilt

Sullivan further mentioned that Trump’s public claims of resolving India-Pakistan tensions were viewed with alarm in New Delhi. He warned that such conduct erodes global trust in Washington.

 

“Imagine every other country in the world — Germany, Japan, Canada. They look at this and say: ‘That could be us tomorrow’. That only reinforces their view that they need to hedge against the United States,” he said.

 

Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for preventing a potential war between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan. He has also praised Pakistan’s military leadership and advanced trade initiatives that Islamabad has welcomed as a breakthrough.

 

India, however, has rejected Trump’s claims, insisting that Washington played no role in defusing tensions after the April Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. Meanwhile, Pakistan nominated Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to reduce tensions in the region.

 

Pak crypto tie-up with Trump-linked firm

In April, just five days after the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan signed a preliminary agreement with World Liberty Financial, a decentralised finance firm 60 per cent owned by the Trump family, to promote blockchain technology. 

According to a Dawn report, the company’s promotional materials list Trump as “Chief Crypto Advocate,” his sons Eric and Donald Jr as “Web3 Ambassadors” and his youngest son Barron as “DeFi Visionary”. 

Trump also promised US support to help Pakistan tap “massive oil reserves”, effectively cementing an energy partnership.

 

Trump tariffs on India and Russia criticism

President Donald Trump and his administration have dialled up their criticism of India and its purchase of Russian oil, claiming New Delhi was "aiding" the war in Ukraine. India has strongly rejected these claims and pointed out that several countries import Russian goods. 

On August 27, the White House levied a 50 per cent tariff, doubling the baseline 25 per cent duties, on Indian goods. Since then, India has reached out to 40 trade partners to strengthen bilateral ties, including Russia and China.

 

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, where the leaders presented a friendly front.  ALSO READ | US wooed India for 30 years, Trump upended ties within few months

 

Wider US trade fallout

The former NSA stressed that US’ reliability is at stake when its leadership makes sweeping claims without binding agreements. He cited Donald Trump’s public statements on trade deals with Japan, which Tokyo quickly contradicted, as examples of how verbal assurances risk creating confusion and eroding confidence.

 

“This is no way to run a railroad, and it certainly isn’t going to serve the interests of the US,” Sullivan said, stating that credibility has long been America’s strongest asset in diplomacy.

 

Sullivan cautioned that weakening trust with New Delhi not only damages bilateral ties but also sends a troubling signal globally. “Our word should be our bond. Our friends should be able to rely on us. That has always been our strength,” he concluded.