Trump Tariffs Impact: Is India Being Pushed Away From US? Former NSA John Bolton Weighs In
Bolton slams US President Donald Trump, joining many of his former aides now calling out his recent actions and a widely controversial tariff policy.

Former United States National Security Advisor John Bolton has lambasted US President Donald Trump in a recent tweet, calling out his 'disastrous' tariff policy, which has impacted the country's relationship with India.
“The West has spent decades trying to wean India away from its Cold War attachment to Soviet Union Russia and cautioning India on the threat posed by China. Donald Trump has shredded decades of efforts with his disastrous tariff policy,” Bolton wrote in a post on X.
The West has spent decades trying to ween India away from its Cold War attachment to Soviet Union Russia, and cautioning India on the threat posed by China. Donald Trump has shredded decades of efforts with his disastrous tariff policy.https://t.co/A2skT581Fi
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) September 1, 2025
This comes on the back of another former US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan's criticism, as he accused Trump of putting the India-US relationship on the back burner and pursuing his family's deals in Pakistan.
This signals growing criticism over Trump's foreign policy, with many of his former aides now calling out his recent actions and a widely controversial tariff policy.
Bolton served as the 26th National Security Advisor of the US between 2018 and 2019, acting under President Donald Trump's first term.
Continuing his tirade on the US President, Bolton added that the only acceptable outcome in Ukraine is the full restoration of the country's sovereignty – a far cry from the status quo peace treaty Trump is seeking.
“The only acceptable outcome in Ukraine is the full restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty and territory. Anything less signals to the rest of the world that aggression will be allowed,” Bolton wrote in another post.
Bolton went on to accuse Trump of allowing China to reset the East, which comes on the back of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Heads of State Council summit in Tianjin.
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“Donald Trump’s unwillingness to consider diplomatic moves in a larger strategic context has given Xi Jinping an opportunity to reset the East,” he added.
As part of the recent SCO summit, Modi and Xi talked about India and China's role in stabilising global trade amid Trump's tariff tirade.