U.S. Congressman Jackson blasts Trump’s India tariffs, urges diplomatic reset

Congressman Jonathan Jackson on Friday (September 5, 2025) denounced President Donald Trump’s tariffs on India, describing them as a “trade embargo by another name” and warning that the measures risk undermining long-term U.S. interests in Asia.

“President Trump’s reckless 50% tariffs on India are tantamount to a sanction by another name,” Mr. Jackson said in a statement. “Instead of strengthening America, these actions have weakened trust, disrupted trade, and pushed India closer to China and Russia. That is a dangerous path and one that hurts our long-term national interests.”

The Illinois Democrat called India “a natural partner” for the United States, stressing that the two democracies share more than commercial ties.

“The United States is the world’s largest economy and the world’s oldest democracy. India is the world’s largest democracy and the nation with the world’s largest population. Together, our countries are natural partners whose destinies are tied to freedom, democracy, and prosperity,” he said.

Mr. Jackson also underscored the historic moral bond between India’s independence movement and the American civil rights struggle.

“Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence inspired the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who in turn inspired movements for justice around the globe,” Mr. Jackson said. “My father, the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, carried forward that same spirit of building bridges and lifting people up. Our nations share a moral connection that cannot be reduced to economics alone.”

He urged the administration to temper its diplomatic rhetoric.

“The Secretary should choose his words more carefully and be more respectful so we can improve our bilateral relationship. Strong democracies must talk to one another in ways that build trust, not division,” Mr. Jackson said.

The comments come as Washington and New Delhi struggle with escalating tariff disputes and the shifting geopolitics of Asia.

(This article is published in an arrangement with 5wh.com)