Political Warfare: Trump’s Indian-American Appointments Spark Unabashed Hinduphobia
Rakesh Krishnan Simha · 12/06/2024 
- Four highly qualified Indian Americans—Vivek Ramaswamy, Tulsi Gabbard, Jay Bhattacharya, and Kash Patel—are set for significant roles in the Trump administration, sparking controversy and Hinduphobia.
- Gabbard, a practicing Hindu and the first Hindu in Congress, faces relentless criticism and allegations of being incompatible with American values due to her religious beliefs and advocacy for Hindu issues.
- Patel’s strong stance against the intelligence community and pro-Hindu comments make him a polarizing figure, feared by the Deep State and targeted by liberal critics.
- Ramaswamy’s success highlights latent racism among liberal elites, facing both racial and religious attacks from both the left and the right.
- The criticism of these appointments reflects deep-seated Hinduphobia, with coordinated character attacks revealing biases and insecurities within traditional political structures.
“Hindus are under attack today in the USA, UK, and Canada owing to jealousy for their success, prosperity, and prominence, and for the New India arising on the global stage.” – David Frawley, American author
Four popular, well-spoken, and highly qualified Indian Americans will likely be appointed to significant roles in the incoming Donald Trump administration. Billionaire biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has been chosen to co-head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside billionaire businessman Elon Musk.[1] Former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has been selected for Director of National Intelligence.[2] Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford physician and covid lockdown critic, will be the National Institutes of Health director.[3] Kash Patel, a former National Security Council official, has been given the powerful position as the head of the FBI or Justice Department.[4]
And there’s the rub. How could Trump pick so many of these cow-worshipping pagans? The knives are out, the barbs have started flying, and Hinduphobia has stepped out of the woodwork. Both liberals and neocons are on a coordinated character-assassination spree. You could call it 21st-century McCarthyism – the political practice of publicizing accusations with insufficient regard to evidence and the use of methods of investigation and accusation regarded as unfair to suppress opposition. So what’s troubling these Hinduphobes? Why have they got their knickers in a twist over just four Hindus in the over 150-member Trump Administration? Let’s do a deep dive.
Tulsi Gabbard: Target of relentless Hinduphobia
The 43-year-old Gabbard, who will oversee 17 American spy agencies after Trump starts his second term in January, made history as the first Hindu to be elected to Congress. Her mother converted to Hinduism and chose Hindu names for all her children; her siblings are Bhakti, Jai, Aryan, and Vrindavan. A lifelong vegetarian, Gabbard took her oath of office on the Bhagavad Gita. Later, she gifted the same copy to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a mark of respect when she met him in New York in 2019. In 2015, Gabbard married cinematographer Abraham Williams in Hawaii in a Hindu ceremony amid the chanting of Vedic mantras. Guests included BJP leader Ram Madhav, who flew from India with a special message and gift from Modi. Modi and Madhav are members of the Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). For the Left, the nationalist RSS is like a red rag to a rampaging bull.
Gabbard’s identity as a practicing Hindu has made her a favorite target of the Left.[5] She has faced allegations of being incompatible with American values due to her religious beliefs, which some political opponents, including the Christian Indian American Nikki Haley, have weaponized against her. In response, Gabbard has condemned what she describes as religious bigotry and profiling within US politics, arguing that such attacks are part of a broader pattern of discrimination against minority faiths.
Gabbard has been especially vocal about atrocities committed against Hindus in countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh. For instance, she has condemned the Pakistani military’s historical violence against Bengali Hindus during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, where the Pakistan Army killed more than three million Hindus.[6] Her advocacy includes moving resolutions in Congress aimed at protecting Bangladesh’s Hindu minorities who continue to face pogroms today. This focus on Hindu issues aligns her with a narrative that liberals view as exclusionary or nationalistic.
No sooner did the President-elect announce his intention to appoint Gabbard than an American reporter barged into her meeting and needled her about the 2002 Gujarat Riots.[7] Gabbard calmly replied: “Do you know what instigated the riots?”[8] She was referring to the stoning and burning of the Sabarmati Express train at Godhra railway station in which 59 Hindu pilgrims, including women, children, and babies, were burned alive by Muslims. These liberals, whether white, black, or sepoys, never talk about the cause of the riots. In fact, it was the media silence in India and the complete lack of empathy for the 59 Hindu victims that sparked the violence.[9]
Gabbard has also been accused of promoting views that align with Russian narratives, particularly regarding the Ukraine conflict. She suggested that NATO’s actions provoked Russia and has made claims about US-funded biolabs in Ukraine. Such statements have led to accusations that she is a “Russian asset” or sympathetic to Kremlin interests.
Her anti-interventionist stance, while initially appealing to some anti-war liberals, has become increasingly controversial as she has criticized US support for Ukraine and defended Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is actually a liberal when it comes to matters such as religion and women’s rights. This has drawn ire from both liberals and neocons who support radical groups such as the Islamic State.
Kash Patel: Hated by Liberals, Feared by the Deep State
Just about everyone fears the Deep State. But the Deep State fears Kash Patel. Here’s why. In an interview, the Trump loyalist declared what he would do if appointed the FBI head: “On day one, I will shut down the FBI’s Hoover Building, reopening on day two as the Museum of the Deep State. Then, I will send the 7,000 employees out across America to chase down criminals. Go be cops. Go catch rapists, drug dealers, and violent offenders.”[10]
No wonder the old guard squirms every time they hear the name Patel. In December 2016, CIA director Gina Haspel threatened to resign after she heard about Trump’s plan to install Patel as her deputy. Trump later commented it was his inexperience in politics that allowed the Deep State to thwart his plans. He regretted his decision not to fire Hansel before appointing Patel.[11]
The 2024 election result has reignited the intelligence community’s fears that Patel’s appointment would inflict a “massive amount of damage.” “No part of the FBI’s mission is safe with Kash Patel in any position of leadership in the FBI, and certainly not in the deputy director’s job,” said former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe.[12] Another retired FBI agent added, “Putting someone like Kash Patel in the position of director of the FBI is, I believe, extremely, extremely dangerous.” [13]
Patel’s alignment with nationalists, including his comments on issues like the Ram Temple in India, is at odds with the pro-Islamist views of American liberals. He once criticized media coverage of the Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya, accusing Washington newspapers of ignoring historical context. “To bring things really up to date, the opening of Ram’s Temple, when PM Modi went there, all the Washington newspapers only covered the last 50 years of history. They forgot the 500 preceding years. Whether or not you are Hindu or Muslim, there was a Hindu temple there for one of the quintessential gods in the Hindu pantheon in 1500 that was toppled, and they have been trying to get it back for 500 years.”[14]
Patel linked the media coverage to a perceived connection between Trump and Modi, stating, “But the Washington establishment forgot that part of history to put on what I believe is a disinformation campaign that’s harmful to India and the PM’s position. They’re using that because I think they liken Trump and Modi as similar figures, and the establishment class in Washington doesn’t want that to be the case.”
Patel’s deep partisan affiliation and contempt for the intelligence community that colluded in the Trump-Russia hoax and his Hindutva have made him a lightning rod for criticism from the Left and the Deep State.
Vivek Ramaswamy: Exposing the Left’s Hypocrisy
When one thinks of racism, one conjures up images of rednecks rampaging through sundown towns, but Ramaswamy’s success as a businessman and politician has managed to bring out the latent racism of the liberal elites into the open.
For instance, American journalist Kara Swisher posted on X: “Best nickname I have heard so far for this tech bro: RamaSMARMY. Add yours below — leaving comments open (for now) for this one obvi(sic).”[15]
X user Vishal Ganeshan wrote: “IMO elite white libs have a lot of pent-up resentment against high achieving Indian Americans, whom they see as competitors. Vivek, as a Trumpian conservative, is an acceptable target, so now they can finally be openly racist behind the facade of political opposition.”[16]
Another wrote: “The same liberal White woman would call anyone having fun with Obama’s name Islamophobic and Racist.”
According to Ramaswamy, “Most of that modern racism has come from the modern left.” He said there’s a “new Neo racism on the left,” citing as an example Democrat Representative Ayanna Pressley’s remark that “we don’t need any more brown faces that don’t want to be a brown voice.”[17]
There were racists on the right, too, attacking Ramaswamy. His religion was targeted by Republicans, including pro-Trump pastor Hank Kuneeman, who said: “If he does not serve the Lord Jesus Christ, you will have a fight with God.”
Attacking Ramaswamy’s beliefs, Kunneman commented: “What are we doing? You’re gonna have some dude put his hand on something other than the Bible? You’re going to let him put all of his strange gods up in the White House?”
Kunneman said he didn’t care how good “someone’s policies were” if you didn’t profess the “name of Yeshua.”[18]
Ramaswamy’s strategy appears to attract Hindu voters – a demographic that traditionally leans Democratic – to the Republican Party. His comments praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approach to national identity resonate with significant segments of the Indian-American community. Liberals hate him because they view him as promoting an ideology they perceive as endorsing white supremacy while simultaneously trying to include Hindus in the Republican fold.
The Delhi-based Hindustan Times summed up what the most famous Indian American has achieved: “It’s fair to say that Vivek Ramaswamy seems to have created a new niche, which was hitherto unseen in Indian-American politics. Most prominent politicians with Indian backgrounds have always had Americanised names like Naveen “Bobby” Jindal or Nimarata “Nikki” Haley. Vivek Ramaswamy, in his tailored suit and glib speeches, is a testament to a new confident community of Indian Americans who no longer want to be Papa Joe’s favorite altar boy but is willing to be an equal representative in the ‘greatest country on earth.'”[19]
Flashback: Ganging up on Sonal Shah
In 2008, Indian American Sonal Shah was in the running for a key appointment in the Obama White House. An eminent economist who previously worked for the US Treasury Department and Goldman Sachs, Shah was appointed to US President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team and later named to be part of a three-person team to write America’s technology policy. But just as her career gained momentum — she was reportedly in the running for the post of Energy Secretary — several Indian American groups launched a protest at her appointment, claiming she was closely associated with the nationalist Vishwa Hindu Parishad and warned against Hindutva infiltration into the US power centers.
The smear campaign was multi-pronged. First, the Indian Coalition Against Genocide, Indian American Coalition for Pluralism, and Non-Resident Indians for a Secular and Harmonious India, in a joint statement, sought Shah’s clarification over her association with the VHP. Then, the Indian Christian Forum, an umbrella organization for Indian American Christians, expressed “grave concern” over her appointment. “Shah’s background creates tremendous uneasiness among freedom loving people in our community that overwhelmingly voted for Obama,” it said.[20]
Several other figures from so-called progressive outfits jumped into the fray. One of them was communist and vitriolic Hinduphobe Vijay Parshad. According to him, Shah was affiliated with “the most virulently fascistic organization within India.” “At the age of 33, she chose to raise money for a group associated with anti-Muslim violence several times,” Parshad told an Indian website in the US, adding that funds raised by the VHP of America were used selectively to aid only Hindus and not Muslims.
The controversy escalated after former US Republican senator Rick Santorum wrote an op-ed piece for the Philadelphia Inquirer on December 4, concluding that Shah was a bad choice. Citing the alleged VHP violence against Christians in Orissa earlier this year, Santorum said the organization supported terrorism aimed at Muslims and Christians. Santorum urged Shah to condemn the VHP and its actions. “If she doesn’t, keeping her on—or more ominously, giving her a post in the new administration—would send the message that the president-elect does not think the VHP is a radical organization,” wrote Santorum.
Shah, named India Abroad’s Person of the Year in 2003 for founding Indicorps, a developmental organization, was cornered into submitting a denial that she was actively engaged with the VHP. “My personal politics has nothing in common with views espoused by the VHP, the RSS, or any such organization. I’ve never been involved in Indian politics and never intend to do so,” she said. “I’ve always condemned any politics of division, of ethnic or religious hatred, of violence and intimidation as a political tool.” The 40-year-old said she was proud to have helped the earthquake victims of Gujarat through NGOs working there.
But apparently, the judgment had already been made. Shaik Ubaid, founder of the Coalition Against Genocide, said he was “saddened and disappointed by Ms Sonal Shah’s statement. It is disingenuous that she, who was raised in a Hindutva family, says that she was not aware of the Hindu-supremacist and violent ideology of the Hindutva movement.” He added Shah should resign to avoid “distraction to the President-elect” and that Obama should be careful when appointing her successor, as the “Hindutva movement has been trying to infiltrate the US power centers.”
However, many prominent people rallied around Shah. The US-India Political Action Committee (USINPAC), a bipartisan organization of Indian Americans, noted in a letter to Obama, “A highly accomplished member of your team, Sonal Shah, has been targeted in a smear campaign in which she is falsely accused of supporting groups that condone violence against Christians and Muslims.”
Eboo Patel, founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core, a Chicago-based international nonprofit that promotes interfaith cooperation, expressed dismay at the attacks on a fellow Gujarati. A Muslim himself, he wrote in his blog: “The evidence linking Sonal to Hindu extremism is laughably thin. It amounts to Sonal passing a Hindu nationalist on the street and not performing a citizen’s arrest…I hope the hatchet job doesn’t work on Sonal. Her talents have benefited many, many people.”
Larry Brilliant, who hired Sonal to work at Google.org, summed it up best: “As many wonderful people that the good Lord has allowed me to meet and work with, there is no finer person I have met than Sonal Shah. I’ve read the comments about her — alleging communal hatred — and they are beyond absurd. Sonal has not a bone, not a muscle, not a cell, not a strand of DNA with bigotry. She is one of the best, the brightest, the kindest, open-minded, and inclusive souls, and one of the most talented that my beloved India, my adopted homeland, has produced.”
But the damage was done. Days after the influential National Journal revealed that Shah was the frontrunner for Energy Secretary, the job was given to Steven Chu, an ethnic Chinese. As the fringe academics and the commentariat piled on the invective, the Hindu American community, too, was the loser.
2024: The year Hindus attain critical mass
Unlike the sabotaging of Shah’s appointment, this time around, Hindu Americans are in a much stronger position politically. Trump himself is a declared Hinduphile who has declared he “loves Hindus and India.”[21] The latest appointments coincide with the President-elect’s increased engagement with Hindu-Americans. He has pledged to protect Hindu-Americans from what he termed the “radical left’s” agenda, highlighting his positive relationship with India’s current political leadership. Trump’s stance aligns with concerns among some Hindu-Americans about issues like religious freedom and caste-based discrimination. [22]
The growing prominence of Indian Americans in the political landscape marks a significant shift in the dynamics of American politics. As Hindu Americans rise to influential positions, they are not only challenging the traditional paradigms of political power but also confronting a wave of Hinduphobia that seeks to delegitimize their success. The old prejudices, whether they manifest as religious bigotry, racial resentment, or political animus, are no longer effective in keeping Hindu Americans on the periphery of political influence.
Charismatic leaders like Gabbard and Ramaswamy are rewriting the narrative — defying the labels imposed upon them and unapologetically embracing their identity. They are part of a new generation of Indian Americans ready to challenge the status quo, assert their values, and reshape the national discourse.
The Left’s attempt to dismiss successful Hindu Americans as “puppets of the far right” or “agents of Hindutva” reveals more about their own biases and insecurities than it does about the individuals they seek to undermine. In contrast, the new wave of Hindu American political leaders is rooted in a deep understanding of their heritage, a commitment to American values, and a vision for a more inclusive society where religious and cultural identities are celebrated, not feared.
Citations
[1] ‘Trump has returned the favor’: Village in ‘God’s own country’ celebrates DOGE appointment (RT); https://www.rt.com/india/607913-vivek-ramaswamy-village-india-trump/
[2] Will Tulsi Gabbard get confirmed as director of national intelligence? (ABC News); https://abcnews.go.com/538/video/tulsi-gabbard-confirmed-director-national-intelligence-116238562
[3] Donald Trump appoints Jay Bhattacharya as National Institutes of Health director
[4] Kash Patel Expected To Join Trump’s Team As FBI Or DOJ Pick (Times Now);
[5] Tulsi Gabbard’s Indian Connection: From Gifting of Bhagwad Gita to PM Modi to Speaking on Kashmir (Times of India); https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/from-gifting-bhagavad-gita-to-pm-modi-to-speaking-on-kashmir-trumps-hindu-american-pick-tulsi-gabbards-indian-connection/articleshow/115281454.cms
[6] When Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s new pick, slammed Pakistan Army over atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh (Hindustan Times);
[7] 2002 Gujarat riots (Sawarajya); https://swarajyamag.com/topic/2002%20Gujarat%20riots
[8] An American reporter barged into Tulsi Gabbard’s meeting and needled her about the 2002 Gujarat Riots (X); https://x.com/ByRakeshSimha/status/1858759296282137056
[9] Forgotten 59: The Untold Godhra Story l Full Documentary l Sharan Setty (YouTube);
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O91kw7CXjvc
[10] Everyone fears the Deep State. But the Deep State fears Kash Patel (X); https://twitter.com/ByRakeshSimha/status/1858880697089581063
[11] Scoop: Gina Haspel threatened to resign over plan to install Kash Patel as CIA deputy (Axios);
https://www.axios.com/2021/01/16/kash-patel-cia-gina-haspel
[12] Scoop: Trump likely to tap loyalist Kash Patel for top FBI or DOJ post (Axios);
https://www.axios.com/2024/11/25/fbi-director-kash-patel-trump
[13] Ex-FBI agent warns Kash Patel would be ‘extremely dangerous’ pick to lead agency as Trump loyalist says ‘will shutdown…’ (Hindustan Times);
[14] You forgot last 500 years: When Kash Patel, who could become the next CIA chief, blasted US media on Ayodhya Ram temple (The Economic Times);
[15] Ramswamy stands by dis of Dem Rep. Pressley as among ‘wizards of the grand KKK’ (US News);
[16] “Hinduphobia from American left”: American-Indian X users call out Kara Swisher for mocking Vivek Ramaswamy’s name (Hindustan Times);
[17] Ramswamy stands by dis of Dem Rep. Pressley as among ‘wizards of the grand KKK’ (US News); https://nypost.com/2023/08/27/ramswamy-defends-likening-rep-pressleys-comments-to-grand-wizard-of-modern-kkk/
[18] Trump’s Pastor: If America elects Hindu Vivek Ramaswami, there will strange gods in the white house (The Moghuldom Nation); https://moguldom.com/450606/trumps-pastor-if-america-elects-hindu-vivek-ramaswamy-there-will-be-strange-gods-in-the-white-house/
[19] “Hinduphobia from American left”: American-Indian X users call out Kara Swisher for mocking Vivek Ramaswamy’s name (Hindustan Times);
[20] Sonal Shah denies links with VHP, RSS (Hindustan Times);
[21] Donald Trump’s Old Praise for Hindus and India Goes Viral (FB); https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1872260619916444
[22] You forgot last 500 years: When Kash Patel, who could become the next CIA chief, blasted US media on Ayodhya Ram temple (The Economic Times);
Donate to HINDUDVESHA
Our Mission is to explore and expose Hindudvesha through research analysis, education and response.
SUPPORT US