Tariff On India Because Of Not To Nominate Trump For Nobel: New York Times

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Washington
• Aug 31, 2025
• 520

According to a report by the New York Times, the real reason behind the tension between India and America is Trump's desire for the Nobel Prize.

The report states that Trump had a phone conversation with PM Modi on June 17. During this, Trump had said how proud he is of bringing about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

After this, Trump told Modi that Pakistan is going to nominate him for the Nobel Prize. Trump indirectly asked India to do the same. Modi was upset by this.

Modi clearly told Trump that America has nothing to do with the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. This has happened directly between India and Pakistan.

The report claims that Trump ignored Modi's statement, which increased the bitterness between the two leaders. Since then, the two have not spoken.

The report is based on conversations with more than a dozen people in Washington and New Delhi, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity.

These people said that the relationship between Trump and India can have a big impact on both countries. Trump's policies are weakening the India-US relationship.

At the same time, India is taking steps to handle its economy, but its biggest trading partner America is getting angry with this.

The newspaper writes that Modi once called Trump a 'true friend', but now their relationship is not good. According to the people associated with the President's office, Modi was earlier told that Trump would come to India to participate in the Quad Summit later this year, but now Trump has no plans to come to India.

A negative atmosphere has now been created against Trump in India. Last week, during a festival in Maharashtra, a huge effigy of Trump was carried around, in which he was shown as a 'backstabber'. The tough steps taken by America were called outright bullying i.e. 'hooliganism' by an Indian official.

The newspaper writes that very few people in India expected that Modi would reach such a position. While winning the elections for the third consecutive time, he had promised that he would make himself and India a global power.

Trump's image has always been that he focuses more on personal relationships than strategy and people in India felt that this attitude would prove beneficial for India. The pictures of friendship between Trump and Modi also gave people the same confidence.

During Trump's first term, he attended a 'Howdy Modi!' rally of Indian expatriates in Texas. This was followed a few months later by a 'Namaste Trump!' event in Modi's home state of Gujarat, where Modi greeted him with a hug at the airport and then Trump was given a grand welcome amid music, dancers and a crowd of more than 100,000 people.

During Trump's second term, many world leaders tried to win him over with praise and gifts.

The British Prime Minister arrived at the White House carrying a letter from King Charles, the President of Finland played golf with Trump and even Ukrainian President Zelensky, whom Trump had previously rebuked, went in front of the cameras to thank him.

But Trump wants something else from Modi. He wants Modi's political power to weaken and he should become irrelevant. If it is believed that Modi has entered into a ceasefire with a weak country because of American pressure, it will cause huge political damage.

Modi's image as a strong leader rests on his tough stand against Pakistan. If it is believed that Trump had any role in this, then it would be like surrender for Modi. In such a case, the possibility of nomination for the Nobel Prize would be completely over. 

On the other hand, considering Pakistan to be close to Trump, he was hastily nominated for this award.

The newspaper further writes that it is difficult to say clearly how much role America had in stopping the recent violence between India and Pakistan, but Trump claims that he stopped the fight by putting pressure on both the countries and by using trade greed, but India refuses to accept this claim.

The newspaper writes that America has influence on both India and Pakistan and tensions have been reduced many times in the past due to the intervention of American leaders, but Modi could not find a way to accept that Trump had any role in the ceasefire.

This clearly shows how sensitive this issue is for Modi. Experts say that India's strong reaction also shows that in the last ten years, power has become very concentrated in Modi's hands and efforts are made to protect his image of a strong leader at all costs.

The newspaper writes that India is now the only country along with Brazil whose President has openly opposed Trump. This is why a 50% tariff has been imposed on India, which is more than any other country.