US embassy denies $21 million ‘voter turnout’ funding to India, counters Trump’s claim

The Indian Express had reported that $21 million was sanctioned in 2022 for Bangladesh, not India. $13.4 million of the $21 million to Bangladesh has already been disbursed, ostensibly for “political and civic engagement” among Bangladesh students in the run-up to the January 2024 elections and projects that put a question mark on the integrity of these elections — seven months before the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.

The MEA informed Parliament of the denial in response to a query by Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas. It noted that the US had conducted a global review of its aid programmes in February this year.

“On 2 July 2025, the US Embassy shared data that it said covered USAID funding in India from 2014 to 2024, including details of implementing partners, objectives, and key accomplishments of each activity undertaken. The embassy also maintains that ‘USAID/India did not receive or provide funding of $21 million for voter turnout in India from fiscal years 2014 to 2024, nor has it implemented any voter turnout-related activities in India’,” the MEA response said.

The embassy’s statement comes amid a global shutdown of USAID operations. On 11 August, the embassy informed India’s Department of Economic Affairs that all seven partnership agreements between USAID and the Indian government would be closed effective 15 August. It also provided a beneficiary-wise breakdown of USAID allocations for 2022–24.

Trump had earlier alleged that USAID funds meant for humanitarian purposes were sent to India: “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 on February 23.

His claim followed a February 2025 announcement by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), then headed by Elon Musk, which listed the $21 million as part of $723 million in cancelled foreign aid.