Former US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel has accused President Donald Trump of jeopardizing four decades of US-India diplomatic relations due to personal ego and alleged financial ties to Pakistan, in an explosive interview with MeidasTouch on October 15, 2025. Emanuel, a Democrat and former Chicago mayor, claimed Trump "threw away" bipartisan efforts to position India as a strategic counterweight to China, citing a dispute over a Nobel Peace Prize and payments to Trump’s family.

Emanuel alleged that Trump’s actions stemmed from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s refusal to endorse him for a Nobel Peace Prize for brokering a ceasefire with Pakistan. “He threw it all away because Modi would not say that the President deserves a Nobel Peace Prize,” Emanuel stated, arguing that the US had spent 40 years building ties with India in manufacturing, technology, and defense to balance China’s rise. The fallout, he claimed, has weakened US strategic goals in Asia.

Further escalating the controversy, Emanuel pointed to unverified financial links, alleging that Pakistan paid Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and the son of associate Steve Witkoff, Zach, through a deal with the Pakistan Crypto Council in April 2025. The firm, reportedly co-founded by Zach Witkoff and involving Trump’s sons and son-in-law Jared Kushner, holds a 60% stake in a digital finance venture, raising questions about conflicts of interest.

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These claims, made amid speculation of Emanuel’s 2028 presidential run alongside potential Democratic contenders like Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom, intensify the political discourse. While unverified, the allegations underscore tensions in US-India relations and highlight the stakes of personal and financial influences in global diplomacy, as the 2028 election looms.

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