KATHMANDU: Donald Trump, the president of the United States, has blasted American foreign aid to India and Nepal, saying it is a needless expense for taxpayers. Reading from a document created by the Department of Government Efficiency (DoGE), he voiced his disgust and questioned why these nations were receiving millions of dollars in various projects.

Among the aid programs he criticized was a USD 20 million grant to Nepal for fiscal federalism. He dismissed the funding as fraudulent, stating that such expenditures were deceptive and a misuse of resources. According to him, the figures presented in the report were highly questionable.

Additionally, Trump said that a USD 19 million award for biodiversity conservation in Nepal was unnecessary. He hinted that financing environmental initiatives abroad shouldn't fall under American purview.

He also took issue with a USD 21 million grant that was given to India in order to promote voting. Trump questioned why, in a nation with ample financial resources already, American taxpayers should be paying for election projects.

He emphasized that foreign assistance for voting initiatives is not required because India has a robust economy and earns a large amount of money from taxes. Funding given under the guise of raising voter turnout particularly raised his doubts.

Trump said he respected India and its leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, even though he criticized financial aid to the nation. But he insisted that such expenditures were unnecessary and had to be reexamined.

The Trump comments correspond with wider discussions in the American political arena about reduced international aid and greater attention to local issues. Trump has for a long time called for cuts to foreign aid, urging that the money go instead to domestic expenses.

That page outlined the aid programs that prior governments have extended to various countries, including Nepal and India. His current comments support his long-standing criticism of foreign aid in general, which has been an agenda item during his presidential term to foreign aid proponents and beneficiaries.

Also read: Trump Calls for Ukraine Peace After Putin Talk