Donald Trump’s policy towards India was critically undermined by Pakistan’s alleged bribery and flattery, according to former Pentagon official Michael Rubin. Rubin stated that many Americans were “flabbergasted” by the significant shift in US-India relations under Trump. He posited that Pakistan, possibly with backing from Turkey and Qatar, used financial incentives – a “disastrous bribe” – to influence Trump’s decisions, creating a long-term strategic deficit for the US.
The former official highlighted Trump’s recent focus on improving relations with Pakistan, citing the visits of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir to the White House, where they presented rare earth samples to Trump. These interactions, Rubin suggested, were instrumental in Pakistan’s alleged efforts to sway US policy.
Rubin also criticized Trump’s handling of international affairs, specifically mentioning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent trip to India as a consequence of Trump’s “gross incompetence.” He further accused the US of hypocrisy regarding India’s energy purchases from Russia, pointing out the US’s own trade relations with Moscow. India had previously protested the Trump administration’s imposition of a 50% tariff on its purchases of Russian crude oil. Rubin concluded that the current geopolitical outcomes are viewed by a majority of Americans as direct results of Trump’s incompetence, despite any attempts by Trump to frame them otherwise.