Ro Khanna criticises Trump, calls for India-US partnership rooted in shared democratic values

Delivering his remarks at the USIndia Strategic Partnership Forum USISPF Leadership Summit Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna sharply criticised President Donald Trumps foreign and immigration policies while arguing that the IndiaUS partnership should ultimately be anchored in shared democratic values rather than transactional interestsKhanna who represents Californias Silicon Valley and is regarded as one of the Democratic Partys leading voices on technology and foreign policy devoted much of his address to attacking Trumps approach to global alliances tariffs and immigration before outlining his vision for Americas relationship with IndiaHe accused the Trump administration of weakening Americas global standing through unilateral actions and trade policiesWere gonna have to rebuild our relationships around the world Khanna said arguing that the next generation of American leaders would have to restore the countrys credibility abroadBut amid the political criticism Khanna devoted the latter part of his speech to what he described as the deeper purpose of the IndiaUS relationship saying it should extend beyond defence trade and investment to reflect the shared democratic ideals of both countriesMy hope as an Indian American is that as we talk about the USIndia relationship we talk beyond what the defense relationship is what the economic relationship is what the investment relationship isLets talk about what the relationship needs to be in terms of our highest values the values of seeing human freedom flourish here and around the worldThe value of seeing selfdetermination flourish here and around the worldThe values of seeking a world that is at peace working to solve civilizations problemsIts not about a blind allianceIts about finding an alliance that will further the values of civilization and humanityKhanna framed his remarks around Americas historical role as a champion of democracy and decolonisation contrasting President Franklin D Roosevelts foreign policy with what he described as Trumps more transactional approachFDR actually believed in the selfdetermination of peopleWhen Winston Churchill said that the British Empire should notAmerica is for decolonizationAmerica is for freedomAmerica is for being a good neighborAmerica is for the principle of human rights and liberty not just in the United States but around the worldHe said those ideals had inspired generations of immigrants including his own family to make America their homeThats what inspired my parents to come to AmericaThats what inspired somebody here to come to the United StatesKhanna also criticised the administrations immigration policies arguing they undermined Americas ability to attract the worlds best talent at a time of intense technological competitionHe talks about leading in AIThirtyeight per cent of the top AI researchers are of Chinese originSeventytwo per cent have foreign degreesThis is a president who doesnt understand that we need to be recruiting talent not turning talent awayLooking ahead to the US elections Khanna predicted a Democratic resurgenceThe Democrats are gonna win decisively in 2026 and were gonna win in 2028Were gonna have a reemergence of this country he saidHe argued that America had repeatedly demonstrated an ability to renew itself after periods of political and economic upheaval America has a remarkable capacity for selfcorrectionOur destiny is to be the first cohesive multiracial democracyDescribing himself as an Indian American of Hindu faith Khanna said he drew inspiration from his grandfather who participated in Indias independence movement and from generations of Americans who fought to expand democracy and civil rightsMy hope as an Indian American is that we talk about the USIndia relationship in terms of advancing freedom and human dignity he saidKhanna has represented Californias 17th Congressional District since 2017 and is one of the most prominent IndianAmerican members of CongressHis Silicon Valley constituency includes many of the worlds leading technology companies and he has consistently advocated closer IndiaUS cooperation in innovation artificial intelligence and advanced technologies while remaining an outspoken critic of several Trump administration policiesHis remarks came as India and the United States continue to deepen cooperation across defence trade semiconductors artificial intelligence and critical technologiesWhile Khannas speech was overtly political his central message was that the longterm strength of the bilateral partnership would ultimately depend on the two democracies remaining committed to the values of freedom pluralism and selfdetermination that he argued had historically united them