Peter Navarro, the White House’s senior trade and manufacturing advisor, has been more vocal in his criticism of India and its economic allies. After days of criticizing India for buying Russian oil, Navarro has now moved on to the BRICS group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. This group has recently added new members.
Navarro said in a recent TV appearance that he doesn’t think the BRICS partnership will last very long. He said that the members of the bloc need the US to stay in business. He remarked, “None of them would be able to live without selling to the US.” He then made a harsh comparison, saying, “…when they sell their exports to the US, they are like vampires sucking our blood dry with their unfair trade practices.”
Navarro didn’t stop there. He then made a very controversial allegation, saying that the countries in the BRICS union “historically hate each other and kill each other.” In the same interview, he also criticized the relationship between India and China, saying that the two countries have been “at war for decades.”
The BRICS group started with five members, but it has since grown to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia, which will join in 2025. People see this growth as a step toward establishing a stronger counterweight to economic institutions that are mostly run by the West.
Navarro’s “vampire” comment isn’t the only time he’s done anything like this. He spoke similar things about China and the UK a few months ago, telling the UK not to let Chinese goods pile up there. His comments are part of a long-running effort to promote a protectionist trade strategy called “America First.”
Navarro’s most recent rant came just one day after the Community Notes function of X (previously Twitter) proved one of his posts about India to be false. Navarro said that India was “profiteering” from its oil deal with Russia and that the money was “feeding the Russian war machine.” The community statement, on the other hand, pointed out the “hypocrisy” of the US, which still buys Russian commodities, and said that India’s imports were for energy security and did not break any UN sanctions.
This fact-check led to a public argument between Navarro and Elon Musk, the owner of X, in which Navarro said that the platform lets “propaganda” and “foreign interests” get in the way of US local discussion. Musk defended the Community Notes system by saying that it “corrects everyone, no exceptions,” and that the platform lets everyone have their say in an issue.
Navarro’s attacks on India have been continuing on since US President Donald Trump ordered a 25% increase in tariffs on Indian imports, bringing the total to 50%. Indian authorities and academics have largely opposed the tariffs, which were introduced as punishment for India’s energy trading with Russia.