‘Maharaja of tariffs’ to ‘little hiccups’: Trump’s India envoy pick hints US spooked by Modi-Xi meet

Speaking at his Senate confirmation hearing, Sergio Gor—President Trump’s nominee for US Ambassador to India—pledged to draw New Delhi closer to Washington and push back against any drift towards China. Emphasizing recent “hiccups” as resolvable, Gor highlighted a much warmer relationship with the Indian government and outlined top priorities: deepening defense and technology ties, ending India’s Russian oil purchases, and opening India’s market for US goods. Gor committed to expanding joint military exercises, advancing co-development and co-production of defense systems, and concluding critical defense sales, assuring senators that India and China remained unlikely partners despite current trade tensions.