Peter Navarro, an advisor to former U.S. President Donald Trump, faced criticism on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) after posting accusations against India regarding its oil purchases from Russia. The X community responded with fact-checks, leading to community notes being added to Navarro’s post, which refuted his claims. Navarro then criticized Elon Musk, the owner of X.
In his post, Navarro alleged that India was profiting from buying Russian oil and thereby funding Russia’s war efforts. However, X users challenged these assertions. A community note clarified that India’s oil trade is essential for its energy security, not solely for profit. It also pointed out that India is not violating any international sanctions by purchasing Russian oil and that the U.S. itself continues to buy certain goods from Russia, suggesting a double standard. Navarro reacted negatively, dismissing the note as ‘nonsense’ and accusing Musk of promoting misinformation.
Navarro’s post focused on India’s purchase of Russian oil, stating that high tariffs from India were costing U.S. jobs, that India was buying Russian oil solely for profit, funding the Russian war machine, and that American taxpayers would have to pay more. He also criticized The Washington Post, referencing a report about the deteriorating diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and India. Navarro has previously used strong language against India, referring to the country as the ‘tariff king’, ‘Russia’s money laundering machine,’ and critiquing ‘Modi’s war in Ukraine’.