Gina Raimondo Warns US is Making a Big Mistake with India
Former U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has strongly criticized the Trump administration's foreign and trade policies, cautioning that the United States is "making a big mistake with India" and alienating key global allies through an isolationist approach. Speaking at the Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics, Raimondo argued that the "America First" strategy has weakened U.S. global influence and eroded long-standing partnerships.
Raimondo, who served as Commerce Secretary under President Joe Biden, stated, "We're making a big mistake with India. The Trump administration has pissed off all our allies. America First is one thing. America Alone is a disastrous policy". She argued that the current U.S. posture risks undermining crucial economic and strategic relationships. "On my list of top 20 things that I would be critical of this administration for is pissing off all of our allies," she added. "An America that's not a good friend or partner or ally to Europe, to Japan, is a weak America".
Raimondo urged a recalibration of U.S. diplomacy, stressing that effective global engagement requires cooperation, not unilateralism. "I don't think we can be effective without strong relationships with Europe or much of Southeast Asia," she said. "And I wish that we would have much stronger commercial relationships with Europe. I think we're making a big mistake with India".
Raimondo's remarks come amid growing trade tensions between Washington and New Delhi. The Trump administration recently doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% and imposed additional duties linked to India's continued purchase of Russian crude oil, despite repeated U.S. objections. Raimondo argued that such actions were short-sighted and risked eroding strategic partnerships essential to counter China's growing global footprint.
She also cautioned against what she called American "hubris" in dealing with partners, warning that other nations would not wait for Washington to rebuild ties. "What we're doing right now is giving the Heisman to the rest of the world," she said. "If we think they're going to sit around and wait for us to come back, I worry they won't. China is right there every day in Europe, in Africa, in Latin America, in Southeast Asia. It's such hubris by America to say we're the only ones".
Raimondo voiced disagreement with both Trump and Biden on the idea of reshoring all manufacturing, saying, "I don't agree with the idea that we should make everything in America. We don't have enough labor, it's not where we have an advantage, and it's not critical to our national security". She recounted that President Biden "wanted to make everything in America," but she had cautioned him that such a push would raise prices for ordinary consumers.
Raimondo's criticism may pressure U.S. lawmakers to review tariff decisions, especially as trade deal negotiations enter their final stretch. Experts believe that a strained relationship with India — a key member of the Quad alliance alongside Japan and Australia — could have far-reaching geopolitical implications in the Indo-Pacific region.
