Trump Aide Peter Navarro Alleges Brahmin Elites Profiting from India-Russia Oil Trade

Former White House trade advisor Peter Navarro has reignited controversy with his remarks targeting India’s energy ties with Russia, accusing New Delhi of “laundering Russian oil” and alleging that Brahmin elites are profiting at the expense of ordinary citizens.

In an interview with Fox News, Navarro defended the Trump administration’s recent imposition of 50% tariffs on Indian goods, claiming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping is destabilizing the global order.

“India is the maharaja of tariffs. They have the highest tariffs in the world. They export a lot to us, which hurts American workers and taxpayers — and even Ukrainians,” Navarro said. “Modi is a great leader, but why is he getting into bed with Putin and Xi when India is the world’s largest democracy?”

He went further by invoking caste: “Indian people need to understand what is happening. Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of the common people, and we want that to stop.”

Navarro, the key architect behind Trump’s tariff strategy, has repeatedly accused India of bankrolling Moscow through discounted crude imports. He recently claimed that India’s refined petroleum exports, estimated at over 1 million barrels per day, are filling “Putin’s war chest.”

In a series of media appearances, Navarro branded India a “strategic freeloader,” alleging that it buys weapons from Russia while seeking advanced technologies from American firms. He also posted on social media, calling the Ukraine war “Modi’s war” and sharing a photo of the Indian Prime Minister meditating in saffron robes — an apparent dig at India’s civilizational identity.

Meanwhile, Indian officials have pushed back strongly, pointing to Western purchases of Russian energy. “Europe continues buying Russian gas, and the US imports Russian uranium. India has acted responsibly under global norms to prevent energy price shocks,” a government source told India Today TV.

Navarro’s comments come as Prime Minister Modi visited China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, where he met Putin and Xi — his first trip to China in seven years.