At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday, US President Donald Trump slammed USAID for allocating $18 million to support India’s elections. He questioned why the US was funding another country’s election process. He also suggested that the US should return to using paper ballots and even take assistance from India. “Wouldn’t that be nice?” he remarked.

Calls for Paper Ballots

Trump strongly opposed the financial aid, expressing his frustration. “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.

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Alleges India’s High Tariffs Hurt US Trade

Furthermore, Trump accused India of imposing high tariffs on US goods. He argued that these trade policies made it difficult for American businesses to compete. “They take advantage of us pretty good. One of the highest tariffed nations in the world. We try and sell something. They have a 200 per cent tariff. And then we’re giving them a lot of money to help them with their election,” he added.

Jaishankar Expresses Concern Over USAID’s Role

Meanwhile, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar responded to the growing controversy surrounding USAID’s reported $21 million allocation for voter turnout efforts in India. He acknowledged that claims from Trump’s administration were concerning. “Some information has been put out there by the Trump administration people, and obviously, that is concerning… I think, as a government, we’re looking into it. My sense is that the facts will come out… USAID was allowed here in good faith, to do good faith activities; now, suggestions are being laid out from America that there are activities which are in bad faith. It’s worrisome, and if there’s something to it, then the country should know who the people are involved in it,” Jaishankar stated.

Elon Musk Raises Doubts About Voting Machines

Moreover, ahead of the US elections, Elon Musk voiced concerns about electronic voting machines. Speaking at a town hall in Pennsylvania on October 20, he claimed that these machines could rig elections. According to ABC News, Musk linked Dominion voting machines to Republican losses in Philadelphia and Arizona. “There’s always a sort of question of like, say, the Dominion voting machines. It is weird that you know, I think they’re used in Philadelphia and Maricopa County, but not in a lot of other places,” Musk said.

Push for Paper Ballots in the US

Musk found this pattern suspicious. “Doesn’t that seem like a heck of a coincidence?” he asked. Finally, he urged states to adopt “only paper ballots, hand-counted.”