Ex-US Commerce Secretary slams Trump's 'America alone' policy, warns US making a 'big mistake' with India
Former US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has sharply criticised President Donald Trump’s foreign and trade policy, warning that his “America First” approach has turned into an “America Alone” strategy.
Former US Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, Raimondo accused the Trump administration of pursuing an isolationist foreign policy that undermines US global influence. “We’re making a big mistake with India. The Trump administration has pissed off all our allies. America First is one thing America Alone is a disastrous policy,” she said while speaking in a wide-ranging discussion at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics.
Raimondo warned that distancing the US from its closest allies was weakening its global leadership. “An America that’s not a good friend or ally to Europe or Japan is a weak America,” she noted.
Rising tensions between Washington and New Delhi
Her remarks come amid worsening trade relations between the United States and India. The Trump administration recently doubled tariffs on Indian exports to 50% and imposed additional duties tied to India’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil, despite repeated US objections. Raimondo argued that such actions were short-sighted and risked eroding strategic partnerships essential to counter China’s growing global footprint.
Urging a return to multilateral diplomacy, Raimondo said Washington needs to rebuild trust with allies and strengthen commercial and strategic cooperation.
“We can’t be effective globally without strong relationships with Europe or much of Southeast Asia,” she said. “We need stronger commercial ties with Europe, and we’re making a big mistake with India.” She emphasised that global cooperation, not economic nationalism, is vital to America’s long-term competitiveness.
Raimondo accused Washington of “hubris” in assuming the world would wait for it to mend strained relationships. “What we’re doing right now is giving the Heisman to the rest of the world,” she said. “If we think they’re going to sit around and wait for us, I worry they won’t. China is right there every day in Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.”
The former Commerce Secretary also challenged the bipartisan push under both Trump and Biden to bring all manufacturing back to US soil. “I don’t agree that we should make everything in America,” Raimondo said. “We don’t have enough labour, it’s not where our advantage lies, and it’s not critical to national security.”
She urged a more pragmatic trade policy that balances domestic production with global supply chain resilience.