Trump: Concern among Indians in America- latest survey reveals

RajaBharat News, India, Hyderabad : Indian Americans are optimistic about the future of India. However, a recent survey has revealed that they are concerned about the relationship between the two countries after Donald Trump became president for a second term.

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Good Governance conducted a survey in October 2024 on India-US political relations and attitudes.

Elections were held in India and the US in 2024.

Although the relationship between the two countries is strong, it has occasionally faced some strain.

Tensions have arisen in relations between the two countries after the US investigating agency registered a case against Indian tycoon Gautam Adani and alleged that he plotted an assassination on US soil from Delhi.

There are more than 5 million Indians in the US.

As part of this survey, Indian Americans were asked some key questions.

How do Indian Americans feel about US-India relations during the tenure of former President Joe Biden? Do you think Donald Trump is a good alternative? How do you see India post-2024?

The survey surveyed 1,206 Indian Americans across the US on these questions.

Trump vs Biden: How do you feel about India?

Indian Americans believe that India-US relations are better under Joe Biden than under Trump’s first term.

More people believe that bilateral relations between the two countries would be better if Kamala Harris were president than if Trump were to win a second term.

Who is on which side also plays a role: 66 percent of Indian American Republicans believe that India-US relations will improve under Trump. 8 percent of Democrats disagree.

In contrast, half of Indian American Democrats support Biden. Only 15 percent of Republicans are in favor.

Biden's support is slightly higher, as most Indian Americans are Democrats.

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi met at the White House in February 2025. Both praised each other's leadership. However, Trump criticized India's high taxes, which he called a "big problem."

Assassination attempt allegations

Half of Indian Americans surveyed were unaware of allegations that Delhi was plotting to assassinate a separatist on American soil. Only half said they were aware of the matter.

The US has charged a former Indian intelligence officer with attempted murder and money laundering for allegedly plotting to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, an American lawyer who advocates for an independent Sikh state called Khalistan.

The incident marks the first time India has been accused of trying to assassinate dissidents.

The Indian government has said it is cooperating with the US investigation into the killing.

In January, a panel set up by India to look into the allegations in Washington recommended legal action against the man, who it says is a former intelligence officer.

Some said it was "not justified" to take such a decision.

Israel - Palestine

Indian Americans are divided along party lines on the issue. Democrats support the Palestinians, while Republicans support Israel.

Four out of ten Indian Americans say Biden is pro-Israel on Israel's war on Gaza.

In October 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people. It took 251 hostages. Some of them were released after a ceasefire and other agreements.

The Hamas-led health ministry said 48,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in Israeli military strikes, most of them women and children.

Talks to extend the first phase of the ceasefire, which ended on March 1, are likely to begin in Qatar on March 17.

Strong support for Modi

47 percent of Indian Americans believe that India is heading in the right direction. This is 10 percentage points more than in the past four years.

47 percent say that Modi is doing well as Prime Minister. Four out of every ten believe that the BJP's failure to win a majority in the 2024 general elections has made India more democratic.

Many of the Indian-Americans who support Modi and say that India is heading in the right direction, the survey found, are not aware of the assassination attempt allegations on American soil.

Is this a lack of information? Or is it because some people were selected for the survey? Does it indicate a positive attitude towards a broader national sentiment?

"It's hard to say exactly why. But it could be because of the selective nature of some people," said Milan Vaishnav, one of the authors of the survey.

According to data collected by Carnegie in 2020, 60 percent of Indian Americans regularly follow daily events in India. The rest pay attention only "occasionally."

“Family, friends, social media discussions and news influence people’s opinions. Given the recent deluge of news in the US, the allegations of the Supari assassination attempt may not come as a surprise to many,” Vaishnav said.

Indian Americans are wary of Trump and are supporting Biden or Harris for India-US relations. They are also strongly supporting Modi’s re-election in India.

In terms of Modi’s national policies, what is the reason for this difference? Is it because of the influence of personality over ideology?

“This is an example of our background and perspective,” Vaishnav said.

“Our research shows that Indian Americans have more liberal views on policy issues in the US than in India,” he said.

“For example, Muslim Indian Americans are minorities in both countries. They are liberal in nature in both countries. Hindu Indian Americans embrace liberalism in America (where they are minorities) and conservatism in India (where they are majorities). In other words, a person’s minority or majority status plays a key role in their political views,” Vaishnav said.

Have the political conditions changed?

If Indian Americans see Trump as a threat to India-US bilateral relations, why did they initially support Trump so much? 50,000 Indians attended the Howdy Modi event in Houston. Have Indians in America changed their views? Or is this a result of the current politics?

“You can’t generalize one event or a few people to all Indian Americans. If 50,000 Indians attended the Howdy Modi event, they might have all come to see Modi, not Trump. But Trump later turned it around in his favor,” Vaishnav said.

“Another factor is the diversity of the Indian community in the US. Indian Americans are overwhelmingly Democratic. In 2024, only 30 percent supported the Republicans. However, things have changed. While Indian Americans still support the Democrats, their affiliation with them has declined. The survey found that it fell from 56 percent in 2020 to 47 percent in the next election.

Finally, this survey highlights the complexity of the Indian community in the US. It suggests that their opinions are shaped by the changing political climate and personal experiences.