Ro Khanna: Indian Envoy in China Told Me 'A Generation of Trust Has Been Lost'

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By TRH World Desk

The Democratic Congressman said President Donald Trump’s Iran policy and tariff decisions have damaged America’s credibility, claiming an Indian ambassador in China told him that “a generation of trust has been lost.”

New Delhi, June 30, 2026 — Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna has sharply criticized US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, claiming it has pushed U.S.-India relations to their lowest point in three decades and damaged America’s global credibility.

Speaking at the Freedom 365 event, Khanna said Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict and global trade had strained Washington’s ties with key partners, including India.

“I’m not one to mince words. I tell things as they are. The U.S.-India relationship has been at the lowest point in the last 30 years,” Khanna said.

Recalling a recent visit to China, Khanna said India’s ambassador there expressed deep concern over the state of U.S. diplomacy. “I was in China and the Indian ambassador said to me, ‘A generation of trust has been lost by this president of yours,’” Khanna said.

Khanna did not identify the ambassador by name or specify when the conversation took place.

The Congressman cited the remark to argue that Trump’s foreign policy had weakened confidence among America’s allies and strategic partners.

Khanna accused the Trump administration of launching military action against Iran without meaningful consultations with allies.

“The idea that we engaged in a unilateral war without our allies, without even consulting Europe or Canada or India, made a mess of the world and has hurt our credibility,” he said.

He added that the conflict had economic consequences for India, particularly by pushing up energy prices.

“Trump’s policies of getting into a war in Iran have been utterly destructive. It has been utterly destructive to the prices in India of gas,” Khanna said, adding that he had also discussed the issue with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

The California Democrat also criticized Trump’s tariff policies, describing the trade war as irrational and harmful to international relationships.

Contrasts Trump With Franklin D. Roosevelt

Khanna contrasted Trump’s approach with that of former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR), whom he described as a champion of self-determination and decolonization.

He recalled his own family’s links with India’s freedom movement, saying his grandfather had worked alongside nationalist leader Lala Lajpat Rai and had been imprisoned during British rule.

According to Khanna, Roosevelt challenged British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s opposition to decolonization and instead supported freedom movements across the world.

“America is for decolonization. America is for freedom. America is for being a good neighbour. America is for the principle of human rights and liberty, not just in the United States but around the world,” Khanna said, describing that period as one when the United States was viewed as a moral leader.

He also praised President John F. Kennedy for promoting international cooperation, poverty alleviation, scientific progress and diplomacy rather than relying solely on military power.

“The new generation is not only going to have to rebuild America, we’re going to have to rebuild our relationships around the world,” Khanna said.

His remarks come amid continuing debate in the United States over the direction of American foreign policy and its impact on relationships with strategic partners, including India.