Trump’s Apache helicopter claim rekindles US–India tensions and raises credibility questions |
US President Donald Trump has once again stirred controversy in India by making a claim that New Delhi says is factually incorrect, politically loaded, and diplomatically awkward. Speaking at the House GOP Member Retreat on January 7, Trump alleged that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally sought his intervention to speed up the delivery of dozens of Apache attack helicopters ordered from the United States. The statement, delivered in Trump’s trademark improvisational style, quickly ignited criticism across India’s political spectrum and prompted media outlets to scrutinize the accuracy of the claim.
Trump asserted that India had ordered 68 Apache helicopters and had been waiting for five years for delivery. According to his account, Modi approached him directly to resolve the delay. “India ordered 68 Apaches, and Prime Minister Modi came to me and said ‘Sir, can I please see you please?’” Trump said, portraying the interaction in language that many Indian commentators described as condescending and demeaning toward the Indian leader.
Indian media outlets were quick to challenge the substance of Trump’s claim. A detailed fact-check by The Times of India, citing official contracts, delivery schedules, and deployment records, found that India has acquired only 28 Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters-not 68-through multiple agreements with Washington. The discrepancy is not minor. It significantly alters the narrative Trump attempted to construct, raising fresh questions about his recollection of events and his tendency to exaggerate details involving foreign........