Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has slammed President Donald Trump’s moves on India, calling them out of line and erratic. In a candid chat with , Bolton ripped into Trump’s habit of claiming credit for ending the India-Pakistan conflict after the Pahalgam terror attack, while slapping tariffs on New Delhi for buying Russian oil.
Bolton, who also served as US Ambassador to the United Nations, said Washington was worried about these actions. “There was a lot of concern in Washington that the two tariff issues, combined with Trump taking credit for bringing peace to India and Pakistan after the last terrorist attack in Kashmir, were inappropriate,” he told .
Trump has kept boasting that he brokered peace between India and Pakistan during a tense standoff in May. But India insists the ceasefire came from direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both armies—no US hand involved.
Adding fuel to the fire, the Trump administration hit India with 25% reciprocal tariffs last month. They piled on another 25% because India buys oil and weapons from Russia. Bolton called this link bizarre, pointing out it’s tied to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “This shows how erratic Trump can be. He hasn’t sanctioned or tariffed Russia itself, or violators like China—which buys way more than India—or Turkey and Pakistan,” Bolton explained.
He gets why this frustrates India. But Bolton advised the Indian government to treat Trump as a temporary headache. “Look at Trump as a one-time proposition. Deal with it in India’s national interest, but know it’s just his style, not the whole US view,” he said. Bolton praised India’s low-key response, using back-channel diplomacy instead of public spats. “That’s the best way to handle someone like Trump. If you jump into a public fight, it won’t make things easier.”
Bolton doesn’t see Trump’s pressure tactics as smart strategy. “It’s more for theatrical performance and domestic politics than real US-India relations,” he said. This kind of unpredictability has shaken global trust in America’s reliability, he added.
Still, Bolton urged India to keep the big picture in mind. Trump’s term has just 3.5 years left, so focus on building long-term US-India ties. “Minimize the damage now, fix it later, and remember this is one person’s quirk, not America’s overall stance,” he wrapped up.
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