NEW DELHI– Prominent American economist Jeffrey Sachs has sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to slap punitive tariffs on Indian goods, calling it one of the most damaging blunders in U.S. foreign policy.
Speaking in an interview on the Breaking Points show with Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti, Sachs said the tariffs were “not a strategy, but sabotage,” and warned they had only driven India closer to the BRICS bloc of emerging economies.
“These tariffs on India are not a strategy; they’re sabotage. It’s the stupidest tactical move in U.S. foreign policy,” Sachs declared, noting that the measures had “unified BRICS like never before” and undermined Washington’s long-term interests in Asia.
The Columbia University professor quipped that Trump had become “the great unifier of the BRICS,” pointing out how the 25 percent penalty quickly reinforced cooperation among Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
“The opposite of what Trump’s advisers thought would happen is exactly what happened,” Sachs said.
Sachs did not spare Trump’s allies either. He labeled Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina as “the worst senator in the U.S.” and “a fool,” while dismissing Trump’s former trade adviser Peter Navarro as “probably the most incompetent Ph.D. my former department has ever granted.”
According to Sachs, the tariffs dealt lasting damage to U.S.-India relations by instantly eroding trust.
“By going after India, a country the U.S. has been cultivating for years, Trump destroyed trust overnight,” he said. “Even if the tariffs are withdrawn, India has already learned you cannot trust the United States.”
He stressed that the duties had “zero practical impact” in negotiations but “completely undermined a strand of U.S. foreign policy built up over decades.” (Source: IANS)
