US Cannot Dictate Terms to India, Says Tucker Carlson

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has declared that the United States can no longer dictate terms to India, emphasizing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi represents historic leadership reshaping global dynamics. Speaking in an exclusive interview with India Today, Carlson challenged Washington’s traditional assumptions about India’s international standing and criticized America’s pressure tactics on foreign policy matters.

India’s Transformation: No Longer a Subordinate Power

Carlson stressed that today’s India bears no resemblance to the nation America knew 25 years ago. “This is not the India we visited 25 years ago. This is a completely different country. And this is not a country to whom you can dictate terms. You negotiate terms,” he stated. He praised Modi’s leadership, placing him among transformative global figures whose influence transcends political ideology. “Whether you like Modi or not, Modi is impressive. Nobody doubts that,” Carlson remarked, expressing his desire to interview the Prime Minister.

Challenging US Pressure on Foreign Policy

Carlson was particularly critical of American attempts to influence India’s purchasing decisions, specifically regarding Russian oil imports. He argued that the United States cannot unilaterally dictate India’s trade partnerships, calling such pressure tactics remnants of an outdated world order. “Unfortunately, people adjust to reality slowly. Emerging powers aren’t emerging anymore. They’ve arrived,” he said, noting that countries like India, China, and Russia now operate as independent power centers rather than junior Western partners.

Carlson contextualized the current global moment as one of exceptional leadership, grouping Modi with other strong figures including Putin, Trump, Erdogan, and Saudi leaders MBS and MBZ. He characterized the current use of tariffs as diplomatic experimentation rather than punishment, framing them as negotiating tools in modern deal-making strategies.