Trump uses Diwali message to attack Harris and pledges to protect Hindus

Donald Trump capitalised on Diwali, the multicultural festival of lights celebrated primarily in the Indian subcontinent, to criticise his half-Indian opponent Kamala Harris, while pledging to protect Hindus worldwide if re-elected to the White House.

“I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against the Hindus, Christians and other minorities who are getting attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh”, the former US president said in a Diwali message posted on his official Truth Social account on Thursday – just days before the November 5 election.

Bangladesh has been making headlines for months because of student-led protests that resulted in more than 400 deaths. The turmoil caused the government to fall, prompting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India on August 5.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

After an initially celebratory mood, the situation in Bangladesh escalated into violence, with rioters targeting members of her ruling Awami League party, which consists of both Hindus and Muslims.

While there have been reports on the ground showing that the violence and looting has affected Hindus, some far-right influencers in neighbouring India have shared false videos and information, distorting the situation.

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, claimed that the violence would have “never happened” on his watch. He accused his Democratic rival Harris and US President Joe Biden of ignoring “Hindus across the world and in America”.

“We will also protect Hindu Americans against anti-religion agenda of the radical left. We will fight for your freedom”, Trump said. He also promised to strengthen the “great” partnership with his “good friend” Narendra Modi, India’s Hindu-nationalist prime minister.

Modi, whose 10 years in office have been marked by a crackdown on freedom of speech and ethnic minority groups, shares a personal rapport with Trump.

As president in 2019, Trump attended the Howdy Modi event in Houston, Texas. The occasion was organised by a local Indian-American group and was attended by 50,000 people.

The founder of Hindus for America First, a US-based far-right organisation which endorsed Trump’s candidacy last month, thanked Trump for his message on Bangladesh.

In an all-caps post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, the group’s founder Utsav Sanduja said that “our advocacy paid off”, adding “love you Trump”.

In September, another US-based far-right group called the American Hindu Coalition also shared a supportive message, saying “there is no place for hate or division in our pursuit of Making America Great Again”.

Sujatha Srikanth, from the Texas-based Chitti Brigade, a group of Indian-American women rallying behind Harris, called out Trump for tying “without proof, the situation in Bangladesh to the Biden administration when that’s misinformation”.

“Trump has, and will not be a good pick for India, or Indians,” she added.

In his Diwali greetings, Trump directly addressed the Indian-American community. At more than two million people – the largest share of Asian voters in the US – they are a crucial number in the neck-and-neck race which has him trailing Harris by less than one percentage point.

“Kamala will destroy your small businesses with more regulation and higher taxes. By contrast, I will cut taxes, cut regulations, unleash American energy, build the greatest economy in the history,” he said.

According to a new survey by Washington think tank Carnegie Endowment Institute, 47 per cent of Indian-Americans identified as Democrats in 2024, down from 56 per cent four years ago.

Nevertheless, more than 60 per cent of respondents said that they intended to vote for Harris, compared to 31 per cent who declared for Trump.

Both candidates have offered different proposals for tax cuts. Trump’s promised plan favours corporations, while Harris is proposing to increase the deduction for new small businesses 10-fold, from US$5,000 to US$50,000.

Trump has also pledged to impose 10 per cent tariffs on imports, rising to 60 per cent on all goods from China.

He has called India the “biggest abuser” and vowed reciprocal tariffs to punish New Delhi for imposing up to 80 per cent import duties on US-made motorcycles. In the White House, Trump initiated trade investigations and imposed tariffs against India. He also removed New Delhi from a duty-free programme.

Srikanth pointed out that Harris’ economic plan “has been approved by hoards of economists with doctorate degrees”.

“Her small business loan proposal will provide that boost that businesses need to grow. Her tax plan truly affects only the top three to 10 per cent of Americans, while Trump’s economic plan will surely cost us with his incendiary tariffs”, she said.

“Not only did he instigate a trade war with India during his administration, he has made several derogatory comments about India being a filthy country”, Srikanth said, referring to his remarks during a 2020 presidential debate about air quality in India.

“We won’t forget that”, she added.