Trump misread India, picked a wrong target: Shashi Tharoor on 'dead economy' jibe

In an exclusive interview with India Today's Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai, senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor talked about Donald Trump's threat of imposing 50% tariffs on India for buying Russian oil, his 'dead economy' jibe and how India should respond to the US' tariff threats.

On Trump's threat of imposing 50% tariffs, Tharoor said, "If indeed, on the 27th of August, 50% kicks in, I see absolutely no reason why India should not insist on reciprocity."

On Trump's 'dead economy' jibe at India, he said:" Look, on the dead economy comment, I really think it's nothing more than the equivalent of a schoolyard bully telling a smaller child your mother is ugly. He may not even have seen the mother. It's not meant to be taken literally. It's meant to be a way of basically insulting the other person. The idea is for the other person to feel taken aback and thereby to be at a weaker position. In this case, in the schoolyard bully, but in this other case, in a diplomatic negotiation. Mr. Trump is famous for his unconventional techniques."

He further added, "He will say and do anything to make a deal that he wants, but he may have picked the wrong target for insulting language.