USAID-CEPPS grant | Donald Trump’s latest: ‘$18 million to India for polls… they take advantage of us’

On February 20, The Indian Express had reported that USAID never funded CEPPS for any project in India and that a $21 million USAID-CEPPS grant was sanctioned for a voter program in Bangladesh. Of this, $13.4 million was disbursed, ostensibly for “political and civic engagement” among Bangladesh students in the run-up to the January 2024 elections and projects that put a question mark on the integrity of these elections — seven months before the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.

Two functionaries involved in the Nagorik project confirmed the use of USAID-CEPPS funds for the project — one of them directly to The Indian Express.

On February 22, The Washington Post reported that there was no record of a CEPPS program matching DOGE’s description in India, citing people familiar with the organization’s work. CEPPS did have a $21 million USAID contract — not for India, but for neighbouring Bangladesh, the Post reported. It quoted a US official “with knowledge of the aid programs,” as saying: “It seems that they are conflating numbers from other programs.”

“We don’t know anything about elections in India because we have never been involved,” a person familiar with CEPPS’s work told The Post. “We were all shocked to see that claim from DOGE.”

However, this funding-for-elections-in-India continues as a Trump refrain, its framing changing with every statement. “18 million dollars for helping India with its elections. Why the hell? Why don’t we just go to old paper ballots, and let them help us with their elections, right? Voter ID. Wouldn’t that be nice? We’re giving money to India for elections. They don’t need money,” he said February 23.

“They take advantage of us pretty good. One of the highest tariff nations in the world…We have a 200 per cent (tariffs) there and then we’re giving them a lot of money to help them with their election,” Trump said.

He has even referred to the alleged funding as trying to “get somebody else elected”; a “kickback” scheme; and even going to “my friend Prime Minister Modi in India” for voter turnout.

Consider these:

* Feb 19: Trump questioned providing $21 million to India for “voter turnout” as he reiterated that the US “can hardly get in there” because of high Indian tariffs. He added that he has a “lot of respect for India. I have a lot of respect for the Prime Minister,” and noted that PM Narendra Modi had visited the White House the previous week.

* Feb 20: At a summit in Miami, Trump said: “…Why do we need to spend $21 million for voter turnout in India? Wow, I guess they (the Biden administration) were trying to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian Government.”

* Feb 21: Trump, speaking at the Republican Governors Association meeting in Washington DC, said, “$21 million for voter turnout in India. Why are we caring about India’s turnout? We have got enough problems. We want our own turnout…I would say in many cases, many of these cases, anytime you have no idea what we’re talking about, that means there’s a kickback because nobody has any idea what’s going on there.”

* Feb 22: Trump, speaking at a ‘Governors Working Session,’ said: “$21 million going to my friend Prime Minister Modi in India for voter turnout. We’re giving 21 million for voter turnout in India. What about us? I want voter turnout too.”

The MEA on February 21 said the revelations about USAID funding for certain activities in the country are “deeply troubling” and have led to concerns about foreign interference in its internal affairs.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “Relevant departments and agencies are looking into this matter. It would be premature to make a public comment at this stage, so relevant authorities are looking into it and hopefully, we can come up with an update on that subsequently.”

The next day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar echoed this saying the information put out by Trump administration people is “concerning” and that the government is looking into it.

During an interaction at Delhi University, he also said USAID was allowed in India “in good faith, to do good faith activities”, and suggestions are being made in US that “there are activities which are in bad faith”.

“So, it surely warrants a look. And, if there is something to it, I think the country should know who are the people involved in the bad faith activities,” Jaishankar said. “As a government, we are looking into it, because such organisations have an obligation to report. And, my sense is, the facts will come out,” Jaishankar said.

The controversy started on February 16, when DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk, announced a series of expenditure cuts, listing $21 million allocated for “voter turnout in India.”