Peter Navarro, an advisor to Donald Trump, found his accusations against India regarding its Russian oil purchases challenged by users on the social media platform X. Fact-checking efforts led to community notes being added to Navarro’s posts, which contradicted his statements. This prompted a backlash from Navarro, who subsequently criticized Elon Musk and the platform’s handling of the situation.
Navarro’s post claimed that India was solely profiting from purchasing oil from Russia and that this was funding the Russian war machine. Community notes were added to the post to highlight that India’s oil trade is also a matter of energy security, not just profit. It also specified that India is not violating international sanctions and that the U.S. itself engages in trade with Russia, suggesting the criticism was inconsistent. Navarro responded negatively to the notes, calling them ‘nonsense’ and accusing Musk of supporting misinformation.
Navarro’s post specifically stated that high tariffs imposed by India were causing job losses in the U.S. He also claimed that India was buying Russian oil purely for profit, funding Russia’s war efforts, and that American taxpayers would suffer. He further cited The Washington Post, which reported on the worsening diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and India. Navarro has previously used strong criticism against India, using phrases such as the ‘tariff king’, and critiquing ‘Modi’s war in Ukraine’.