US President Donald Trump’s move to impose 25% additional tariffs on India for its crude oil trade with India reflects a “disrespectful and ignorant policy”, according to American journalist Rick Sanchez, who hosts the ‘Sanchez Effect’ on Russia Today.In an interview with ANI, Sanchez says the US should not treat India like a ‘schoolchild’. “India’s the big boy, not a schoolchild,” Sanchez said. He observed that Donald Trump’s decisions often stem from “grudges and non-scientific thinking”. He commended India for maintaining its position.Sanchez characterised the US policy on secondary tariffs as “extremely preposterous in the eyes of most people”. He criticised the American approach of treating India as if it required supervision in its decision-making processes.
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Sanchez emphasised that “India’s the big boy, not a schoolchild” and highlighted the significance when India asserted its autonomy in choosing its oil suppliers, describing it as “such a cataclysmic, transformational moment”.He elaborated further, saying, “It’s a disrespectful and ignorant policy (of the Trump Administration)… Because they don’t understand the underpinnings of what caused the Ukraine war from the standpoint of Russia… You have to take that into account, which PM Modi has to some regard… The disrespectful part comes when you start treating a country like India with its history, resources and capabilities like a schoolchild…It’s almost like they’re treating India like they’re schoolchildren who need to be told what to do. India’s the big boy, not a schoolchild.”Also Read | ‘Draconian tariffs’: Chris Wood sees $55-60 billion hit for India; calls it Trump’s ‘personal pique’Addressing Trump’s selective criticism of India’s Russian oil purchases while not sanctioning China and Europe for similar transactions, he noted Trump’s inconsistent approach.“There’s no particular rhyme or reason to who he sanctions or why he sanctions them or when he sanctions them. And that’s not good. You have to have some sense of stability and consistency.”According to Sanchez, America recognises its limitations in taking strong measures against China, despite Beijing being Russia’s largest oil customer.A recent Jefferies report suggests that the substantial 50 per cent US tariffs on Indian goods stemmed primarily from Trump’s personal displeasure at being excluded from India-Pakistan diplomatic matters. When questioned about this analysis, Sanchez acknowledged Trump’s tendency to make decisions influenced by personal grievances and non-rational considerations.
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“Many American leaders today show a concerning lack of understanding regarding the background, historical context, and cultural aspects of international issues. Their decisions often stem from cable news coverage… Would it be unexpected to discover later that he took personal offence because PM Modi didn’t acknowledge him as the resolver of Pakistan-India tensions? Is this consistent with Trump’s policy implementation patterns? Yes, certainly it is,” he explained.
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When questioned about Trump’s adviser Peter Navarro characterising the Russia-Ukraine conflict as PM Modi’s war, Sanchez responded, “That’s absolutely laughable”.“His intellectual capabilities are limited. He has never been considered a significant intellectual,” Sanchez observed.“The United States demonstrates remarkable ignorance regarding geopolitics, particularly concerning the Global-South perspective… There’s complete unawareness about India’s history and its complex relationships with China, Russia, and Ukraine. Such ignorance leads to these nonsensical statements… Despite warmongers, neoconservatives, and arms industry representatives pressuring Trump to confront India, Russia, or China, he fundamentally recognises the strategic error in such actions,” he elaborated.Also Read | ‘Social Truth’ vs data: What Trump doesn’t get about India’s ‘dead’ economy
