Trump Aide Peter Navarro Fact-Checked on X Over Anti-India Russian Oil Claims, Navarro Slams Elon Musk
Former US President Donald Trump’s senior trade adviser, Peter Navarro, recently faced a fact-check on Elon Musk’s social media platform X for his controversial posts accusing India of profiteering from Russian oil imports. Navarro’s posts, which have stirred significant diplomatic tension amid ongoing US-India trade disputes, were flagged by X’s community notes as “hypocritical” and misleading.
Navarro claimed in his posts that “India buys Russian oil purely to profit” and that revenues from these purchases feed the Russian “war machine” amidst the Ukraine conflict. He also connected India’s tariff policies with losses in US jobs, criticizing India sharply. However, X’s fact-check clarified that India’s Russian oil imports are primarily for “energy security” and do not violate international sanctions. The community notes highlighted that while India imposes some tariffs, the US maintains a trade surplus with India in services and itself continues to import commodities from Russia, accusing Navarro of hypocrisy.
The fact-check stated, “India’s legal, sovereign purchases of Russian oil for energy security do not violate international law,” and noted the persistence of US imports of Russian goods such as uranium, thereby underlining a double standard in US policy toward India’s oil trade.
Following the fact-check, Navarro lashed out at Elon Musk, accusing him of allowing “propaganda into people’s posts” and dismissing the community note as “crap.” He reiterated his accusations that India buys Russian oil solely for profiteering, denying prior purchases before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and blaming the Indian government for “spin.” Navarro’s statements come amid a backdrop of escalating US tariffs on Indian goods, reaching over 50% following Trump administration measures, which have severely strained India-US bilateral relations.
The India-US relationship has seen heightened tensions alongside trade disagreements and geopolitical shifts. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent engagement with China and Russia amid the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit has further complicated ties, though both Modi and Trump have expressed intentions to maintain a positive bilateral relationship.
India has categorically rejected Navarro’s allegations as “inaccurate and misleading,” emphasizing its commitment to sovereign trade decisions and energy security. India’s growing reliance on Russian oil—rising sharply since 2019–20 due to discounted pricing and sanctions by Western nations—reflects pragmatic adjustments rather than geopolitical profiteering.
This episode underscores the complex interplay of trade, diplomacy, and information in global politics, with social media platforms like X playing an increasingly pivotal role in shaping narratives and fact-checking contentious claims.
