US President Donald Trump raised the issue of $21 million in funding for increasing “voter turnout” in India for the fourth day on Friday but took the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time.
Speaking at a ‘Governors Working Session’ in Washington, Trump said: “Twenty-one million dollars going to my friend Prime Minister Modi in India for voter turnout. We’re giving 21 million for voter turnout in India. What about us? I want voter turnout too.”
He also said that money went to strengthen the political landscape in Bangladesh to a firm that nobody ever heard of. “Got USD 29 million. They got a check. Can you imagine? You have a little firm, you get 10,000 here, 10,000 there, and then we get 29 million from the United States government.
“There are two people working in that firm… I think they’re very happy, they’re very rich. They’ll be on the cover of a very good business magazine pretty soon for being great scammers. USD 20 million for fiscal federalism, USD 90 million for biodiversity in Nepal and USD 47 million for improving learning outcomes in Asia. Asia got a lot of money,” Trump said.
On Thursday, Trump claimed at a Republican Governors Association meeting that the USD 21 million funding to India for voter turnout was a “kickback” scheme, continuing his attack on the previous Biden administration over the now cancelled financial aid.
“USD 21 million for voter turnout in India. Why are we caring about India’s turnout? We have got enough problems. We want our own turnout,” Trump said.
“I would say in many cases, many of these cases, anytime you have no idea what we’re talking about, that means there’s a kickback because nobody has any idea what’s going on there,” he said.
