US President Donald Trump, once a vocal critic of Pakistan’s terror links and radical Islam, now appears to have softened his stance. His recent comments equating India and Pakistan and ignoring Islamabad’s role in terrorism demand scrutiny and a revisit of his earlier bold positions. He now seems to have turned a blind eye. Worse, his comments appear to equate India with Pakistan, despite the vast difference in their global roles, democratic values, and trade.
On May 11, US President Donald Trump, in a post on social media platform, X, claimed: “I am very proud of the strong and unwaveringly powerful leadership of India and Pakistan… I am proud that the USA was able to help you arrive at this historic and heroic decision. While not even discussed, I am going to increase trade substantially with both of these great nations. Additionally, I will work with you both to see if, after a ‘thousand years,’ a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir.”
While Trump’s statement and subsequent offers for mediation without any takers, raise several questions in India. The recent Pahalgam terror attack in the name of religion was indeed condemned by the US and other global powers, but such condemnation is of little consequence if they fail to recognise and hold Pakistan accountable for its role in sponsoring terrorism and keep funding the epicentre of terrorism through institutions like International Monetary Fund (IMF).
It is important to remind President Trump of his earlier, much firmer stance on Pakistan and radical Islam. Here are key instances when he boldly called out Pakistan’s duplicity:
1. August 21, 2017– U.S. engagement and “the path forward” in Afghanistan and South Asia
Trump said, “Pakistan has also sheltered the same organizations that try every single day to kill our people. We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting.”
He openly accused Pakistan of offering “safe haven to agents of chaos, violence and terror.”
2. September 19, 2017– UN General Assembly Speech
Trump called on all responsible nations to confront terrorists and the “Islamic extremists” who inspire them. While not naming Pakistan, he stressed the need to “expose and hold responsible those countries that provide funding and safe havens to terror groups.”
3. September 11, 2017– 9/11 Anniversary Speech
In a point in reference to Pakistan, which had sheltered Osama bin Laden for nearly a decade, Trump said: “There is no dark corner beyond our reach, no sanctuary beyond our grasp, and nowhere to hide anywhere on this large earth.”
4. May 22, 2017 – Arab-Islamic-US Summit, Riyadh
Trump acknowledged that India, Russia, and Australia had been victims of terrorism. Without directly naming Pakistan, he warned that “every country must ensure that terrorists don’t find sanctuaries within their borders.”
5. January 1, 2018 – Twitter Post:
In one of his most scathing public comments, Trump tweeted: “The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan.”
Not only this, Trump has long positioned himself as a fierce opponent of Islamic terrorism:
1. June 2024– Presidential Election campaign rally:
“When I return to office, we will reinstate the travel ban on nations that export radical Islamic terrorism.”
2. August 2024 – Presidential Election campaign rally:
Trump stated, “We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism. And we will not allow it to take root in our country.”
Throughout they years, Trump has consistently tweeted against the Islamic State, “radical Islam,” and global jihadist networks, vowing to eradicate terrorism from its roots.
Trump’s recent remarks following the Pahalgam attack in which 26 innocent tourists were killed are in stark contrast to his earlier statements on Pakistan’s terror export. His willingness to remain “neutral” and offer mediation on Kashmir is something India has repeatedly rejected.
By equating the India with the terror state Pakistan, and offering trade incentives to both following a ceasefire, Trump appears to blur the lines between a nation fighting terrorism and one promoting it. India’s trade with the US is far more than Pakistan’s, and placing both nations on the same page is wrong.
Several media persons have also alleged to possible financial motives behind Trump’s shift. A cryptocurrency venture linked to Trump’s family may be one of the reason. World Liberty Financial (WLF), a blockchain investment firm in which Trump’s sons Eric and Donald Jr. allegedly hold a 60 per cent stake, signed a letter of intent with the Pakistan Crypto Council in April 2025. The deal involved meetings with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir. Zachary Witkoff, son of Trump’s close business associate Steve Witkoff, was also part of the delegation. Such allegations raise questions about whether business interests are influencing US’s policy. This is not the Trump once vowed to eradicate radical Islamic terror from the face of the earth, is the common sentiment that is gaining ground across the world.
