Peter Navarro lashes out at Musk after X fact-checks his post accusing India of profiteering from Russian oil

Peter Navarro, Senior Counselor for Trade under President Donald Trump, ignited controversy with a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) targeting India’s purchase of Russian oil. Navarro accused India of profiteering from discounted crude and claimed the revenue was aiding Russia's war effort, stating on X:

“India buys Russian oil purely to profit/Revenues feed Russia war machine.” He added that this practice affects US jobs and taxpayers.

X users responded by applying a community note that directly contradicted Navarro’s claims. The note stated, “India’s legal, sovereign purchases of Russian oil for energy security do not violate international law… The US, while pressuring India, continues to import billions in Russian goods, exposing a clear double standard.”

Navarro’s post gained further attention when Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded, questioning the accuracy of his assertions. Musk has previously commented on both trade tariffs and global oil dependency, and his intervention brought the exchange into wider public debate.

In response, Navarro dismissed the fact-check as a “crap note”, and criticized Elon Musk for allowing it on the platform:

“That crap note below is just that. [...] India buys Russia oil solely to profiteer. It didn’t buy any before Russia invaded Ukraine.”

Navarro’s remarks also sparked backlash from the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), after he implied that “Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of Indian people.” The HAF called this interpretation inaccurate and warned of potential reinforcement of harmful stereotypes.

These comments came amid heightened trade tensions. The US had imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods, with Trump citing India’s continuing purchases of Russian oil as the trigger. India defended its actions, asserting the imports were for energy security rather than profiteering.

Navarro’s statements also reignited criticism of his rhetoric. He had earlier labeled the Ukraine conflict as “Modi’s war” and accused India of serving as a “global clearinghouse” for sanctioned Russian oil.