Trump's Theatre Of Lies: India's Opposition Falls For Master Manipulator's Claims
It is part of Donald Trump's personality to make seemingly insane remarks that defy logic and truth. Trump is no stranger to lies and outright falsities—he has spread these on umpteen occasions throughout his public life. The Washington Post documented over 10,000 false or misleading statements during his previous presidency. What is truly surprising, however, is India's opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi, taking all of Donald Trump's claims at face value.
Trump has claimed 29 times now that he stopped the India-Pakistan flare-up using trade as a leverage. India has categorically denied any such mediation from the US. Yet, the Congress ecosystem has decided to go by the words of a 'gora' president instead of their own prime minister and government.
The pattern of Trump's dishonesty is well-documented. From inflating statistics on immigration and crime to exaggerating crowd sizes and misrepresenting trade policies, Trump's relationship with truth has always been transactional. His approach to foreign policy follows the same playbook—make outrageous claims, dominate the news cycle and use the resulting chaos as leverage for his broader objectives.
The Defence Sales Gambit
As far as Trump is concerned, his rants pertaining to India are driven by a clear desire to coerce New Delhi into buying high-end American weaponry. The timing of his claims coincides perfectly with ongoing discussions about India's fifth-generation fighter jet requirements. While Russia has offered its Su-57 stealth fighter for local production in India, the United States has been pushing its F-35 as an alternative. However, for India, the economic equation matters as much as the strategic one. After all, the F35 are dramatically more expensive than the Su-57 and operate best only under a NATO-grade system of systems.
By amplifying drama around India-Pakistan tensions and claiming credit for de-escalation, Trump is signaling that India's decision to buy Russian systems over pricier American platforms will be met with tangible consequences. This coercive approach is reinforced by Senator Lindsey Graham's stark warnings that continued defence or energy deals with Russia could trigger severe economic repercussions for India. Graham has threatened 100 per cent tariffs on oil imports from Russia and proposed legislation enabling up to 500 per cent tariffs on countries helping Russia, directly targeting India's significant energy imports from Moscow.
Negotiating Through Exaggeration
This theatre of lies is also part of Trump's broader negotiating tactic, especially as trade talks between both countries are ongoing. Trump's negotiation style relies heavily on 'truthful hyperbole"—a strategy he outlined in 'The Art of the Deal'. His approach follows a predictable pattern: start with extreme positions, create disruption and chaos, normalise the absurd through repetition, and then pull negotiations toward his anchor point.
Trump's repeated claims about mediating the India-Pakistan conflict serve multiple purposes in this framework. First, they establish him as an indispensable broker, positioning America as the ultimate arbiter of 'South Asian" security. Second, they create artificial leverage in trade negotiations by suggesting that India's security depends on American goodwill. The Trump administration has formally told a US federal court that trade access was used as an incentive to 'avert a full-scale war" between India and Pakistan, demonstrating how these claims are being institutionalised to justify broader trade policies.
The strategy is part of Trump's overarching belief that 'leverage is everything". By threatening withdrawal from trade agreements, imposing unilateral import restrictions and creating artificial crises, Trump seeks to reshape global trade dynamics in America's favour.
Trump's false claims about India-Pakistan mediation also serve his domestic political needs. After all, he promised to end the wars between Russia and Ukraine, and Israel and Hamas, as soon as he took office for his second term. Yet, he has spectacularly failed to deliver on these grandiose promises. More than 100 days into his presidency, both conflicts have not only continued but escalated. Israel launched a new war against Iran in June 2025, while Russia has stepped up its assault on Ukraine. The Gaza ceasefire that Trump claimed credit for collapsed within weeks.
In this context, his fabricated claims about mediating India-Pakistan tensions serve as a substitute success story. By repeatedly asserting that he prevented a nuclear conflict in the Indian Subcontinent, Trump attempts to maintain his image as a global peacemaker despite his stark failures elsewhere. The claims allow him to project strength and dealmaking prowess to his domestic audience.
India's Categorical Rejection
India's response to Trump's claims has been unequivocal and consistent. Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally told Trump in a phone conversation that 'India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never do so in the future". On the floor of the Lok Sabha, PM Modi debunked Trump's claims of mediating a ceasefire, saying no world leader asked India to stop. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has repeatedly clarified that no trade discussions occurred during the May conflict and that the ceasefire was achieved through direct military-to-military communication between India and Pakistan. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri emphasised that 'there was no conversation between PM Modi and Trump between April 22 and June 17", directly contradicting Trump's timeline of events.
Despite this clear position, the Congress party has chosen to give credence to Trump's fabrications rather than their own government's statements. This suggests a troubling willingness to accept foreign assertions over domestic clarifications, particularly when those assertions come from a leader with a well-documented history of dishonesty.
It also represents a fundamental misunderstanding of Trump's modus operandi. His claims are not factual statements to be verified but strategic tools designed to create pressure and extract concessions. By treating Trump's lies as credible enough to warrant investigation, the Opposition is helping legitimise his tactics and providing him with the domestic Indian controversy he needs to maintain pressure on the Modi government.
The Congress' stance becomes even more problematic when viewed against Trump's broader pattern of coercion. His administration's threats of economic consequences for countries maintaining ties with Russia are clearly designed to pressure India into aligning more closely with American strategic interests. By amplifying Trump's claims through parliamentary debates and public statements, the Opposition risks playing into a narrative that portrays India as dependent on American mediation for regional stability.
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Trump's theatre of lies regarding India-Pakistan mediation reveals the intersection of his domestic political needs, strategic arms sales objectives, and signature negotiating tactics. His repeated false claims serve multiple purposes: maintaining his peacemaker image despite foreign policy failures, pressuring India toward American defence purchases, and creating artificial leverage in trade negotiations.
The tragedy lies not in Trump's predictable dishonesty—that is simply his established modus operandi—but in India's Opposition choosing to legitimise these fabrications through their misplaced outrage. In doing so, they risk undermining India's sovereignty and playing directly into the hands of a master manipulator who views truth as just another negotiating chip.
About the Author
Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra
Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra is a producer and video journalist at Network18. He is enthusiastic about and writes on both national affairs as well as geopolitics.
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Congresss donald trump Rahul Gandhi Straight Talk United states
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First Published:
July 30, 2025, 12:34 IST
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