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Rahul Gandhi's Endorsement Of Trump's "Dead Economy" Remark Backfires

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's attempt to latch on to US President Donald Trump's "dead economy" remark to attack the Narendra Modi government has backfired, with his party colleagues and allies taking an opposite stand.
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Rahul Gandhi Seizes on Trump's "Dead Economy" Remark to Target PM Modi
New Delhi:
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's endorsement of US President Donald Trump's "dead economy" comment to criticize the Narendra Modi government has backfired, with members of his own party and allies taking contradictory positions. The situation has provided the BJP an opportunity to counter Opposition attacks.
While Mr Gandhi embraced Trump's remarks to criticize the Centre, senior Congress colleagues Shashi Tharoor and Rajiv Shukla highlighted India's economic strength, with Tharoor emphasizing that India should not yield to Washington's unreasonable demands. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, a key opposition voice, criticized Trump, stating such claims can "only come from a position of arrogance or ignorance".
Following his announcement of 25 percent tariffs on Indian imports, Trump intensified tensions by declaring he doesn't care about India's relationship with Russia, suggesting both countries "can take their dead economies down together".
"I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let's keep it that way," Trump posted on Truth Social.
Mr Gandhi quickly responded at Parliament, agreeing with the US President: "He is right, everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact."
The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha accused Prime Minister Modi of "killing" the economy through demonetization and a "flawed" GST. He criticized "Assemble in India" - a play on Make in India - claiming it had failed while MSMEs were "wiped out" and "farmers crushed".
Shashi Tharoor, who has previously faced criticism from Congress leadership over other remarks, diverged from Gandhi's position. He described US-India trade talks as "challenging" but noted, "We have ongoing negotiations with the EU, we already concluded a deal with the UK, and we are talking with other countries also. If we can't compete in America, we may have to diversify our markets outside of America. We are not out of options."
#WATCH | Delhi | On trade negotiations between the US and India, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "It is a challenging negotiation. We are negotiating with many countries. The US is not the only negotiation. We have ongoing negotiations with the EU, we already concluded a deal… pic.twitter.com/tl85WKiMjW
— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2025The Thiruvananthapuram MP added that India must "move elsewhere" if US demands become "completely unreasonable": "That is the strength of India; we are not a totally export-dependent economy like China. We have a good and strong domestic market. We must give strong support to our negotiators to find the best deal possible. If a good deal is not possible, we may have to walk away."
Rajya Sabha MP Rajiv Shukla declared Trump's statement "completely wrong": "Our economic condition is not at all weak. If someone claims they can finish us economically, it's likely due to a misunderstanding. Trump is living in a delusion." Speaking to NDTV about the US-Pakistan oil deal, Shukla added, "Their oil deal with Pakistan doesn't concern us. No country can dictate who we can or cannot do business with."
#WATCH | Delhi | Congress MP Rajeev Shukla says, "... Trump saying that the economies of India and Russia are dead, is wrong. The Indian economy is not dead. Economic reforms were made when PV Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh were there. Atal Bihari Vajpayee took those reforms… pic.twitter.com/UZ0lLvRzZY
— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2025
Opposition leader Priyanka Chaturvedi stated on X that substantial data confirms India's economy ranks among the global top five. "Calling it a dead economy can only come from a position of arrogance or ignorance," she wrote.
Not that one needs to say it there's enough legitimate data available to know that Indian economy is in the top 5 of the world and one of the fastest growing economies. Calling it a dead economy can only come from a position of arrogance or ignorance. Thank you for your attention…
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) July 31, 2025
She further clarified that while India faces economic challenges and needs per capita income improvement, these issues "do not equate to a dead economy," suggesting Trump's statement is clearly a negotiation tactic.
BJP has strongly responded to Gandhi. Senior leader Amit Malviya accused him of reaching a new low by echoing Trump's "dead economy" comment, calling it a "shameful insult to the aspirations, achievements, and well-being of the Indian people".
"But let's be honest - the only thing truly "dead" here is Rahul Gandhi's own political credibility and legacy. Even amidst global slowdown, India remains the world's fastest-growing major economy, with the IMF and World Bank revising growth projections upwards," Malviya stated, adding, "This is not a dead economy. This is a surging, resilient India."
"Who is Rahul Gandhi really speaking for? Why does he repeat foreign propaganda that undermines India?" Malviya questioned.
BJP leader K Annamalai contrasted Tharoor and Gandhi's approaches: "I came across remarks by two Congress leaders on the same topic today. One spoke for India's Interest, and the other spoke in a tone that would please his offshore masters," he said.
I came across remarks by two Congress leaders on the same topic today. One spoke for India's Interest, and the other spoke in a tone that would please his offshore masters.When the world acknowledges India as the only bright spot on an otherwise dark horizon, here is the… pic.twitter.com/qejp39fAFF
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) July 31, 2025"When the world acknowledges India as the only bright spot on an otherwise dark horizon, here is the leader of the opposition who feels otherwise. LoP Thiru Rahul Gandhi avl continues to wear ignorance like a badge of honour. He is blind to India's rise, yet ever eager to echo foreign voices that undermine it," he concluded.