Indian politicians and commentators accuse the US president of mimicking South Asia’s election playbook to woo voters ahead of the midterms
3-MIN READ3-MINBiman MukherjiPublished: 8:00pm, 16 Sep 2026Donald Trump’s proposal to give adult Americans US$5,000 if Republicans win November’s midterm elections has drawn an unusual accusation from India: that the US president is borrowing from the country’s welfare-heavy political playbook.
Speaking days after Trump floated the US$5,000 proposal on September 9, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar told an event held by India’s main opposition Congress party: “Trump is copying us.” Shivakumar argued that the pledge reflected the wider influence of Karnataka’s welfare model.
Political analysts and party leaders credit Karnataka’s targeted welfare promises – aimed at easing inflation, empowering women and supporting youth – as a defining factor behind Congress winning a decisive victory in the state in 2023.
To Indian observers, Trump’s conditional payout promise sounded familiar. Social media users compared it to pre-poll pledges often made by domestic politicians, posting memes and saying “freebies” had reached America’s shores.
