Washington DC: During his closing speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday, US President Donald Trump criticised the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding of USD 18 million for helping India with its elections.

Trump, in turn, proposed they go back to paper ballots and have India assist with the election process, saying, "Wouldn't that be nice?"

"18 million dollars for helping India with its elections. Why the hell? Why don't we just go to old paper ballots and let them help us with their elections, right? Voter ID. Wouldn't that be nice? We're giving money to India for elections. They don't need money," he said.

Trump further alleged that India benefits from high tariffs on US goods.

"They take advantage of us pretty good. One of the highest tariffed nations in the world. We try and sell something. They have a 200 per cent tariff. And then we're giving them a lot of money to help them with their election," he said.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, on Saturday expressed concern over allegations that the USAID allocated USD 21 million for "voter turnout" in India.

"Some information has been put out there by the Trump administration people, and obviously, that is concerning... I think, as a government, we're looking into it. My sense is that the facts will come out...USAID was allowed here in good faith, to do good faith activities; now, suggestions are being laid out from America that there are activities which are in bad faith. It's worrisome, and if there's something to it, then the country should know who the people are involved in it," said Jaishankar.

Meanwhile before the US elections, on October 20, Elon Musk, the owner of X, while speaking at a town hall in the swing state of Pennsylvania, claimed that voting machines rig elections, ABC News reported.

Musk linked voting machines by Dominion to Republicans' losses in Philadelphia and Arizona, saying, "There's always a sort of question of like, say, the Dominion voting machines. It is weird that you know, I think they're used in Philadelphia and Maricopa County, but not in a lot of other places," ABC News reported. "Doesn't that seem like a heck of a coincidence?" Musk said while calling for states around the country to "only do paper ballots, hand-counted."

ANI