U.S. President Donald Trump lost as much as 10% of the Indian-American vote, say experts, with widespread disappointment over the Republican Party’s MAGA rhetoric that villainises immigrants. However, the ‘bluenami’, as it is being called for the Democratic Party’s official colour, is also being studied in South Block for a different reason — for the number of Indian-Americans elected, belonging largely to the Democratic Party in opposition, who are less reticent about criticising the Indian government on issues like civil rights and democratic freedoms. 

On Friday (November 6 2026), it was 50-year old U.S. Congressman Ro Khanna’s swipe at the Modi government, where he said on X that he ‘applauded’ student protests in India, and “unequivocally condemned Hindu nationalism” that took many in the Ministry of External Affairs by surprise.