Peter Navarro Criticizes India Over Poll Manipulation Claims

Navarro's Controversial Remarks on India

Peter Navarro, who served as a Senior Counsellor for Trade and Manufacturing under former President Donald Trump, has once again directed criticism towards India. This comes after he faced scrutiny for his misleading statements on social media. Rather than addressing the facts regarding India's oil imports from Russia, Navarro accused Indians of distorting the results of a poll he conducted on the platform X.

In a post on X, he stated, "India has the largest population in the world, and all it can do is manage a few hundred thousand X propagandists to manipulate a poll? It's quite amusing. America: observe how foreign entities exploit our social media to push their agendas."

India has largest population in the world & all it can do is manage few hundred thousand X propagandists to jerk around a poll? Too funny. America: look at how foreign interests use our social media to advance their agenda. https://t.co/XiMZYZdFGo

— Peter Navarro (@RealPNavarro) September 8, 2025

Navarro's comments were a response to previous challenges regarding the content moderation policies on X, where he had initiated a poll to assess user opinions. This has intensified his ongoing dispute with the platform after he was corrected on earlier misinformation. He remarked, "Indian special interests are attempting to disrupt domestic discussions with falsehoods about India's acquisition of Russian oil. Should X present this nonsense as comments from 'diverse viewpoints'?"

As of the latest update, the poll had garnered 56,175 votes, with 75% in favor of 'Yes', 17% for 'No', and 7% stating 'Hello no. It’s obscene'. Navarro had previously reacted strongly after being corrected for spreading false information regarding India's Russian oil purchases. He dismissed a community note on X as "crap" and accused Elon Musk of permitting "propaganda", reiterating his claims that India profits from Russian oil. His recent comments have included accusations that India's tariffs are detrimental to American jobs, and he has made derogatory remarks about India, labeling it a "laundromat for the Kremlin" and suggesting that certain groups are profiting from the conflict in Russia.