Trump again attacks USAID, claims USD 18 mn given to India to help with elections
Washington, Feb 23 (PTI): US President Donald Trump has claimed that the Biden administration allocated USD 18 million in funding to India to help with its elections, arguing that the country doesn’t need this money.
His remarks during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday after he repeatedly attacked the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for allocating USD 21 million in funding to India for “voter turnout”.
In his speech, Trump also accused India of taking advantage of the US.
"18 million dollars for helping India with its elections. Why the hell? Why don't we just go to old paper ballots, and let them help us with their elections, right? Voter ID. Wouldn't that be nice? We're giving money to India for elections. They don't need money," he said.
"They take advantage of us pretty good. One of the highest tariff nations in the world...We have a 200 per cent (tariffs) there and then we're giving them a lot of money to help them with their election," Trump said.
Trump also criticised the USAID for giving USD 29 million to Bangladesh.
"USD 29 million goes to strengthen the political landscape and help them out so that they can vote for a radical left communist in Bangladesh," he said, without naming anyone.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that USAID under the previous administration led by Joe Biden allocated USD 21 million in funding to India for “voter turnout”, sparking a row in the country over the assistance.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said the information put out by the Trump administration people is "concerning" and that the government is looking into it.
During an interaction at an event in New Delhi, he also said the USAID was allowed in India "in good faith, to do good faith activities", and suggestions are being made out of America that "there are activities which are in bad faith".
"So, it surely warrants a look. And, if there is something to it, I think the country should know who are the people involved in the bad faith activities," the external affairs minister said.
The Congress party on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “talk to his friend” and strongly refute the allegation.
On Thursday, at a Republican Governors Association meeting, Trump claimed that the USD 21 million funding to India for 'voter turnout' was a “kickback” scheme, as he continued to attack the previous Biden administration.
Trump had raised similar concerns on Thursday and Wednesday, days after his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk claimed that USAID contributed USD 21 million to the Election Commission to boost voter turnout in India as he listed items on which the “US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent.”
On February 16, DOGE also noted that all of the items had been cancelled.
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Australia retains the Ashes with 2 tests to spare after a tense victory over England in Adelaide
Adelaide (AP): Australia retained the Ashes with two matches to spare after paceman Mitchell Starc took three of the last four wickets to blunt England's defiant comeback Sunday in a tense fifth-day finish to the third cricket test.
Australia started Day 5 needing four wickets to retain the Ashes, with England resuming at 6-207 and still 228 runs away from the victory target of 435 that would have required a world record to achieve.
“Feels pretty awesome,” Australia captain Pat Cummins said of the 82-run win at the Adelaide Oval. “We got it done.”
Cummins missed the first two tests while recovering from a back problem, with Steve Smith leading the team to two eight-wicket wins. Smith was ruled out of the third test about a half-hour before the toss because of vertigo.
“You can't really rush things here in Australia, it doesn't work that way,” Cummins said of the test going the distance. “It's a good old fashioned grind a lot of the time and, yeah, I love the toil from all the guys today.
“It got a little bit closer than I would have liked, but pretty happy.”
Tense Day 5
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Starc took the only wicket in the morning session — Jamie Smith running out of patience and caught by Cummins for 60 — as England piled on 102 runs.
England's rally had narrowed the Ashes equation at lunch on the last day: Australia needed three wickets to clinch the old urn in Adelaide and England needed 126 runs to keep the five-match series alive.
No team had scored more than West Indies' 418 (in a three-wicket win over Australia in 2003) in the fourth innings to win a test.
But England skipper Ben Stokes later said he felt like his team were “on for another heist” in the morning session and was confident of achieving a record total.
With England's lower-order doggedly mounting pressure and Australia's attack missing veteran spinner Nathan Lyon, who limped off the field with an injured hamstring, the leading bowler in the series delivered for the hosts.
Starc, who was voted player of the match in Australia's eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane, took the wickets of Will Jacks (47) — spectacularly caught by Marnus Labuschagne, who dived from slip in front of the wicketkeeper — and Jofra Archer (3).
That left Scott Boland to finish it off. He dismissed Josh Tongue (1) and left Brydon Carse stranded on 39 as England was all out for 352.
Player of the match
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Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey was voted player of the match after posting a home ground hundred in the first innings, a half-century in the second innings in a 162-run stand with Travis Head, who top-scored with 170, and completing seven dismissals for the test.
England's out of contention
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England captain Ben Stokes said he was happier with the resilience shown by his team this week, despite ultimately surrendering the series in 11 days.
“This is going to hurt quite a bit,” Stokes said. “Obviously that dream that we came here with is now over, which is obviously incredibly disappointing.
“But look, we've got two more (tests) to go on and that's where the focus needs to switch to now.”
Injured Lyon
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A day after swinging the momentum back in Australia's favor with a three-wicket burst, veteran spinner Lyon hurt his right hamstring diving to cut off a boundary in the outfield and was ruled out of the remainder of the match. He got up and clutched the back of his right leg before walking off with a trainer when England was 249-6.
Long, long drought
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Domestic media noted Sunday that it had been 5,462 days since England last won a test match in Australia — dating back to January 2011.
Since then, the Australians have won the series Down Under 5-0, 4-0, 4-0 and are now 3-0.
Melbourne will host the Boxing Day test starting Dec. 26 and Sydney will host the fifth test in the New Year.
