Rahul derails Opposition focus by backing Trump’s ‘dead economy’ remark

Rahul Gandhi’s endorsement of US President Donald Trump’s “Indian economy is dead” remark has ignited a political storm just two days after he urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reject Trump’s ceasefire claims in Parliament.

As Trump’s tariff threats escalate and the Congress battles optics, The Federal's Puneet Nicholas Yadav decodes the political fallout of Rahul’s latest comment—and whether it derails the Opposition’s coordinated strategy.

Was it politically wise for Rahul Gandhi to endorse Trump’s remark on the Indian economy?

I wouldn't say there are visible cracks within the Congress, but there is certainly unease over what Rahul said. Just 48 hours earlier, Rahul gave an aggressive speech in the Lok Sabha challenging Prime Minister Modi to condemn Trump’s claim of mediating a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor. He even demanded that the PM say “what the hell is Donald Trump saying?”

Now, to suddenly endorse Trump’s “Indian economy is dead” statement by calling it a fact isn’t politically mature. It’s an infelicitous remark. Instead of keeping the spotlight on how India is being mistreated by the US—through tariffs, penalties, and a daily undermining of India’s sovereign interests—the focus has now shifted to Rahul Gandhi backing Trump.

Also read: Right after cornering Modi in LS, Rahul’s ‘self-sabotage’ leaves Cong red-faced

It’s a negative and poorly timed statement. No Indian wants to hear their economy is dead, especially when this narrative is coming from both Trump and the Leader of the Opposition. A better approach would’ve been to criticise the Modi government’s failure to defend India’s interests, like the Left and other Congress leaders have done.

Has Rahul Gandhi handed the BJP a tool to deflect from Trump’s tariff blow?

Quite certainly. This gives the BJP the diversion it needed. Until Rahul’s comment, the narrative was squarely on the Modi government being caught off guard by Trump’s 25 per cent tariff and vague penalties. Now, the BJP has flipped the script.

Their powerful social media machinery is already spinning the tale that Rahul Gandhi is aligning with anti-India forces. They’re portraying him as echoing Trump, working against India’s economic interests. The BJP couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to attack the Congress—and unfortunately, that opportunity has come from Rahul himself.

Also read: Rahul Gandhi says Trump right on making 'dead economy' remark about India

Has Rahul Gandhi’s statement derailed the Opposition’s plan to corner the government on the tariff issue?

Yes, it has seriously complicated the Opposition's strategy. Just this morning, before Parliament reconvened, the INDIA bloc had a detailed strategy meeting. The plan was to raise tough questions on the tariffs, alongside domestic issues like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and the arrests of nuns from Kerala in Chhattisgarh.

Now, the focus has been derailed. Instead of questioning Trump’s punitive policies or the Modi government’s lack of pushback, all anyone is talking about is Rahul’s “economy is dead” remark. It overshadows nuanced economic debates—on unemployment, jobless growth, and MSME struggles—and reduces them to a sensational headline.

Rahul later posted a tweet listing demonetisation, flawed GST, and other issues as reasons for the economy’s condition. But the headline—that the Indian economy is dead and Trump is right—has taken over the narrative. It gives the BJP a golden opportunity to divert attention and portray Rahul as anti-national, especially when Trump is simultaneously courting Pakistan.

Also read: Highlights of Rahul Gandhi's speech in Lok Sabha today

Is this just a narrative setback, or a deeper political miscalculation?

Politics is about narrative control. Even if the facts about India’s economic distress are correct, the way Rahul framed his endorsement of Trump handed the BJP an easy win. The government can now gloss over tough economic questions and instead focus on branding the Congress as unpatriotic.

Rahul's criticism—about Adani, demonetisation, GST, and farmer distress—is valid and resonates with many. But it’s now buried under a flood of memes, viral videos, and BJP narratives claiming he backs a foreign leader who just signed a new oil deal with Pakistan.

The BJP will continue milking this moment to portray the Congress and the opposition as disconnected from national interest. This is not just a setback—it’s a moment of self-sabotage for the Opposition.

(The content above has been generated using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism.)