Trump Aide Hits Back at Online Trolls Over India-Russia Oil Remarks: ‘Nasty Little Attacks’

Trump Adviser Peter Navarro Says He Faced Online Backlash Over India-Russia Oil Remarks

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has claimed that he faced intense criticism and online trolling after repeatedly speaking out against India’s trade policies and its purchases of Russian oil.

Navarro described the backlash as being “firebombed” online and urged his Indian critics to refrain from what he called “nasty little attacks.”

“I actually got firebombed by the Indian continent on the internet with all sorts of nasty little attacks,” Navarro said, adding that such behaviour was not the way problems were resolved in the United States.

Navarro has been a vocal critic of India’s continued purchases of Russian crude. He has accused New Delhi of indirectly helping finance Russia’s war in Ukraine through its energy trade with Moscow.

In his previous remarks, Navarro has used sharp descriptions for India, including calling it the “Maharaja of tariffs” and alleging that the country functions as a “laundromat for the Kremlin.”

Navarro Defends His Criticism

Navarro has repeatedly argued that India significantly increased its purchases of Russian oil after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

He claimed that India’s purchase of Russian crude and subsequent refining activity had helped support Russia’s wartime economy.

According to Navarro, India had not been heavily involved in the Russian oil trade before the invasion but increased its purchases afterward.

He also suggested that his public criticism may have contributed to a decline in India’s Russian oil purchases, pointing to an opinion article he wrote for the Financial Times.

India Rejects Navarro’s Claims

India has previously pushed back against Navarro’s allegations concerning its Russian oil imports.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had described Navarro’s comments as “inaccurate and misleading” and rejected the claims made against India.

Navarro did not provide specific details about the online messages he received but characterised the reaction to his comments as widespread, while calling on his Indian critics to stop the attacks.