India’s prime minister has made a big effort to build closer ties using his rapport with the U.S. president, but critics say he is getting little in return.

India vowed on Thursday to protect its labour-intensive agriculture sector, a central sticking point in bogged-down trade talks with the U.S., as Washington threatened 25% tariffs, triggering outrage from the opposition and a slump in the rupee.

US President Donald Trump used his Truth social platform to declare the tariff-penalty on India. But his arguments for the punitive measure are far from truth and distant from social. Trump is a tragedy on both counts.