Join us as we sit down with Kriti Upadhyaya, Founder of the IndUS Tech Council, to discuss the implications of the recent Donald Trump assassination attempt on the 2024 US elections and its significance for Indian-Americans. Kriti will share insights into how such events could influence voter sentiment and political dynamics within the Indian-American community, shedding light on key issues and perspectives shaping the upcoming elections.
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00:00Hello and welcome to this yet another brand new episode on U.S. elections and today we are joined
00:05by Kirti Upadhyay. She is the founder of Indus Tech Council, comes from Washington D.C. and has
00:14spent a lot of time understanding the whole political scenario as it unfolds as of now
00:20and also earlier as well. Kirti, thank you so much for taking time out for One India.
00:25Thank you, Pankaj. Thanks for having me here.
00:27But Kirti, first things first, we know any discussion wouldn't be complete if we don't
00:34mention the post-Trump attack scenario. How do you see it unfolding? Is it going to
00:42benefit Donald Trump? Is it going to benefit the Republicans or the Democrats have some way
00:48to negotiate this whole incident that has happened?
00:52Well, firstly, it's really a heart-wrenching episode. Anytime that an attack like this,
00:59violence like this takes place, even before we go on to analyze it, I just want to say that
01:05it's shocking. It's the first time in, I think, 40 years that there's been an
01:11assassination attempt on presidents. As you know, there have been assassinations. At least four
01:17presidents have been assassinated. There have been at least three assassination attempts. But
01:23anytime that this happens, it's shocking. It's heart-wrenching. And I also want to address
01:28some of the issues that this once again brings to light. I think it's a time to also reflect.
01:36I think a lot of us in America are taking this as a moment. This doesn't matter which side of the
01:41aisle we are. It doesn't matter if you're a Democrat or a Republican. I think it's a moment to
01:47sort of just think about some of the issues that are very pressing within America.
01:52Most importantly, the polarization. I think it's a lesson not just for America, but for the world
01:58over where we see so much polarization happening that what form polarization can really take.
02:07Look at America specifically. During the Civil War,
02:14polarization was at its peak. But since then, it's been coming down. But now again, we see it rising
02:19so much. Secondly, again, you can be a great proponent of Second Amendment, which most
02:26folks are. But still, it does raise the issue of gun control. And of course, another issue being
02:34mental health crisis, which has been plaguing most developing countries and also America.
02:39Before we sort of get into any analysis of this, I thought it might be pertinent just to mention
02:45the human side and the fact that it raises a lot of questions not just for folks in America,
02:51but world over in developing countries, what forms polarization really can take.
02:57In terms of how it's gonna really affect the polls and so on. I mean, I follow 538 and some
03:04other polls. And I don't think they've yet factored into because much of these analysis happens up to
03:12like Friday to Sunday. And the assassination attempt just happened over the weekend. But
03:18even if we just look at the past few months or weeks, it's been a very tough, close fight,
03:25right? You get any of the polls that are happening right now. The difference is merely two to three
03:31points between President Trump and President Biden. Even after, you know, the bad night that
03:37President Biden had at the debate, even then, that distance really didn't increase much.
03:46It has been a pretty, you know, pretty tight context. But, you know, folks in India will
03:52also know this that anytime something like this happens, there is that sympathy factor.
03:59And that's the factor I think would remain. And what it'll also do is that not only for these
04:07elections, but if President Trump was to come on as president, it would also give him some
04:13amount of immense political capital to maybe go through with a lot of initiatives. So I think this
04:20is something, as terrible as it sounds to say this, there is a sympathy factor and there is
04:25some political capital that you do gain from something like this. Right. Absolutely. The
04:31Republican convention is on this week. It's all about the Republicans and J.D. Barnes announced
04:40as the running mate for President Trump, former President Trump. Do you think that it's the right
04:45mix for the Republicans and J.D. Barnes could actually be the unique selling point for the
04:50Republicans? Well, I don't follow Republican politics or Democratic politics that much.
04:57I am more of an expert on U.S.-India and defense relationship, but just as an observer,
05:02as somebody who is sort of surrounded by politics in D.C. and so on, just based on what I've heard,
05:09it feels like, you know, J.D. Barnes has a pretty impressive history. He's, you know, I was just
05:16reading there's even a movie made about him. He's somebody who comes from, you know, hillbilly
05:20America, rises up, goes to Yale, and he's a true conservative. And when we look at it, Trump,
05:27despite being a Republican, he has had those issues with, you know, the real conservatives,
05:34the real Republican conservatives. So I think in that ways, it's a good mix. And it's also
05:41interesting that J.D. Barnes started as sort of a never-Trumper, and now he's sort of the weak
05:47candidate for Trump. So I think that's something that's very interesting. That's an interesting
05:52story. And just as we look at the Republican Party itself, I think it's evolving and being
05:58shaped by Trump. And within that mix, having somebody who sort of represents that true
06:04conservative Republican is always a good thing to have. And I guess for Indians here and for
06:10Indian viewers, it'll also be interesting to know that J.D. Barnes has an Indian origin,
06:14Indian-American. Well, that's something, you know, that started making headlines this time.
06:22And now J.D. Barnes saying how his wife and her belief and thoughts in Hinduism also helped him a
06:29lot, you know, to learn lots of things there. Well, needless to say, Kirti, when we talk about
06:36Indo-U.S. relations and your company, IndusTech Council also works in the same regard. Help us
06:43understand what IndusTech is all about, first of all. And secondly, whom do you see more beneficial
06:50for India, Donald Trump or Joe Biden? Well, thanks for asking about IndusTech Council. So we're super
06:56new. We're a D.C.-based think tank working to accelerate U.S.-India defense tech ties. So we're
07:02focused primarily on U.S.-India defense tech relations, dual use relations. We work a lot on
07:10shaping policy, on working with policymakers to provide them, you know, any sort of research or
07:16background that helps accelerate that relationship just by creating a more enabling environment.
07:21That's what governments can really do, is create a more enabling environment. We're very, very
07:28in tune with and involved in the IndusX initiative. By the way, IndusTech came before
07:34they started IndusX, but last year when Prime Minister Modi... I thought for a moment it's about Indus Valley.
07:41It takes us back to the very roots of India. So last year when Prime Minister
07:49Modi was visiting for the state visit, they also announced IndusX ecosystem, which
07:57we are very proud to be a part of. And then on the more company side, we work with U.S. and Indian
08:03companies with go-to-market strategies, helping make those, you know, matchmaking, arrange marriage
08:10connections, and yeah, just working to really empower the ecosystem in whatever small
08:17way we can. I'm really glad you asked me this question because I get asked this question so
08:22many times now. I think since I've started my career, whatever elections I've seen, this question
08:29always comes up on either side, whether India goes into elections or U.S. goes into elections.
08:36I think something we've seen in the past 10 years is that it really doesn't matter for U.S.
08:44India relations because there is such bipartisan support for the relationship today that it really
08:50doesn't matter who is there, whether it's, you know, Republicans or Democrats, because
08:56as much as there is polarization, there's one thing that has bipartisan support amongst other
09:03things, and that is the championship for U.S.-India relationship. The fact that American lawmakers,
09:12American bureaucrats do believe that a rising India is truly in America's interest,
09:18and the fact that a good U.S.-India relationship is something that has immense value.
09:26If we look at, you know, some things that even folks wouldn't have thought would have
09:32continued, say, you know, the sort of clarity that President Trump provided on the fact that China
09:38is a true challenge, that has been continued completely by President Biden. There hasn't
09:45been a step backward, right? If anything in some of his proposals that are coming for his
09:52next term, he's being even more aggressive. If that doesn't tell you that there's bipartisan support
09:58for India, I don't know what does. The fact that there is this centrality, despite everything
10:04that's happening, you know, NATO summit, whatnot, whatever is going on with NATO and the few wars.
10:11I mean, Indo-Pacific has still stayed very, very central to U.S. foreign policy, and just
10:17look at the amount of engagements that are happening. I mean, it's hard to keep up. It truly is
10:22hard to keep up. At any point, you have U.S. Right now, we have RIMPAC going on. You have U.S.-India
10:28military exercises happening. You know, you have visits, phone calls, strategic initiatives
10:38happening. So I think there's bipartisan support for U.S. and India. So it really doesn't matter
10:42whether it's a Republican or a Democratic government. I totally understand here, and especially
10:48in the post-9-11 world, I believe the role of India has also increased manifold as far as
10:54the Indo-Pacific is concerned, the Southeast Asian parts also making India the focal point there,
11:01and then there is China also. We'll come to that later. Ketu, from the elections point of view
11:08in the United States, both Republicans, say, for that matter, Barack Obama, Democrat Barack
11:17Obama, and Republican Donald Trump, all of them have always tried to make America great. I mean,
11:22Barack Obama came with the idea of, yes, we can, and we saw how he emphasized and focused on
11:28America first. Donald Trump also came into power, and he said that let's make America great again.
11:34All these aspects for any president of any country, for that matter,
11:39is to give priority to their nationals, to their citizens first. Now, U.S., as we know,
11:46is home to a lot of expats also, a lot of immigrant community also living there,
11:51from Spain, Mexico, India, and you name it, and they have it there. What are the expectations of
11:58the expat community there, if we may start with the Indian community, and what role do they play
12:04in order to have the equidistant approach, both with Republicans and Democrats?
12:10So I think for the election point of view, Indian Americans are more important than just
12:15immigrants, since, you know, Indian Americans are the one who will actually be voting.
12:20Let me tell you, Indian Americans are becoming more and more relevant. Today,
12:26you look at Indian Americans, more than any other demographic group, they have the highest median
12:31income. They're the most educated, something with our parents making us do all those degrees. I mean,
12:38even I have to master's degrees. They are the most wealthy, when it comes to net wealth,
12:45they're the most wealthy. And also the fact that a lot of, you know, in the U.S., a lot of political
12:52funding is done through political action committees through PACs. And a lot of these PACs
12:57controlled by businesses today, more and more by tech businesses, and so on within Silicon Valley,
13:03where again, you find this proliferation of Indian American CEOs, Indian American businesses.
13:10So, you know, there is a very critical role that Indian Americans play in terms of just not as
13:17much as by their sheer strength in numbers, because that isn't as much, but by the disproportionate,
13:26you know, value they bring just in terms of being these members of society that are wealthy,
13:32educated, and can really shape opinion or, you know, provide funding. But even though in India,
13:39you know, there might be certain leanings towards certain political party,
13:45you'll be, you know, at least the viewers will be interested to know that a lot of this funding has
13:52actually been, Indian American funding has actually been historically towards the Democrats.
13:58So, yeah, Indian Americans actually lean more towards Democrats, or at least fund more towards
14:05Democrats. So, when it comes to Indian Americans, I think they are becoming increasingly a very,
14:13very important voice within America. That's why you see now more than ever, especially in certain
14:19strategic places where you'll find this, you know, the not only the power, but also the strength of
14:25Indian Americans is a lot places like, you know, say, you know, New Jersey, or California, or so on.
14:33And Indian Americans are increasingly playing more and more critical role. And we've really
14:39come a long way since Ami Bera was the first, you know, first Indian American congressman
14:47to be in the Congress. Today, you see more and more congressmen, senators, and so on.
14:53You see the India caucus, which is ever growing.
14:58Yes, of course, you know, which is growing in its own influence. So the Indian Americans,
15:04just like any other ethnicity, play a very critical role in India. I think for Indians
15:10themselves, the immigrant and expat community, they're also very, very critical to the US
15:19economy, because today we see that there is a dearth of STEM labor within the United States.
15:27And it's come to a point where, you know, there were some, when you go back to some of the national
15:33defense strategies, and so on, there were certain proposals that, hey, even if there's like Chinese
15:38students doing PhDs, we want them here, because let them stay back, let them contribute to the US
15:43economy rather than going to China. And many of these US students, I mean, I came to the US
15:49as a student, many of these students, you know, they, they go on to be engineers, they go on to
15:54be doctors, they stay and contribute and become valuable members of American society. And I think
16:01more and more now lawmakers and people who are going to the elections are also thinking how do
16:05we really capitalize on them. That's why you hear proposals like those coming from President Trump
16:12that, you know, we're going to give green cards to graduates and so on. So yeah, those are some
16:18of my thoughts on that. Perfect. Perfect, Kirti. I mean, good to know at least that America is also,
16:25you know, facing this issue of reverse brain drain, those who come there, study there,
16:30they should not leave. That's the effort at least. One final question, Kirti, since you
16:38are an expert when it comes to defense tech, and also the defense strategies to a certain extent,
16:43and hence comes the tech part there. There are two big wars going on in the world as we speak.
16:50One is obviously Russia and Ukraine, and the other one is Israel and Hamas and Iran thrown in together.
16:58From the American point of view, do you believe that the subsequent government would have to
17:07focus more on these defense strategies, whether to get into a war or not? Because I remember
17:14Barack Obama towards the end started saying that we will pull out our armed forces from Afghanistan.
17:18Donald Trump came riding on that, and towards the end of his tenure, he was able to remove the
17:24boots from the ground in Afghanistan. And the way it ended was not a win-win situation for anyone,
17:30be it Afghanistan, be it the United States. In your opinion, for the new government in the United
17:36States, how important is it to have a critical look or at least a different view of the two wars
17:42that are going on, and where America is an active partner as of now?
17:47Absolutely. Israel is a key, key ally for the United States, and Russia is also one of the
17:56key adversaries. And the region within Europe is very, very strategic. And I think kudos to
18:04the US government for standing up for its friends and allies in the way that they are. But still,
18:11there is a lot of backlash or pushback within America itself today that you can't really be
18:17spread too thin. I mean, think about it. What happens if tomorrow something, there's another
18:23front opening in... I mean, I hope that doesn't happen, but what if there's another front that
18:27opens in China and Taiwan? And if anything that we've learned in the past few years is that
18:32wars are getting very, very... they're no longer short, quick wars. Wars are getting long. I mean,
18:41this is something that we experience ourselves. We have these clashes with sticks and stones that
18:47goes on for years within our own borders. And it's also not very good for the economy in terms of
18:56everything that's happening. And with inflation rising everywhere, the first thing that people
19:01think, it's just natural for them to think that, why are we spread all over? But I think
19:06that apart, public opinion apart, US is the leader of the free world. And there are some
19:14responsibilities that come with it. And sure, sometimes the US, like in Afghanistan, has
19:22realized that there's some regions, no matter what you do, you really can't impact the outcomes.
19:28But everywhere else, especially for its key allies and partners, I think the US will do
19:34whatever it can to really be there for them. So here's hoping that the wars come to an end really
19:41soon and it's a positive outcome for everybody. But I think beyond all the noise and everything,
19:48strategically and for America itself and for the world globally, it is important that America is
19:54there to stand up for its friends and allies when there is a need to do so.
20:00On that positive note, Kirti Upadhyay there, founder of Indus Tech Council, joining us
20:05all the way from Washington DC. Kirti, thank you so much for taking time out for One India.
20:10Really appreciate your inputs here.
20:12Thank you, Pankaj.