Presenting a united national front against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism following Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack, India has dispatched multiple all-party delegations to various countries as part of a significant diplomatic initiative. The delegation dispatched to the United States was led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who highlighted India’s national consensus and firm stance on combating terrorism in all its forms.
The all-party delegation carried India’s strong message of zero tolerance against terrorism to the global community during their outreach. The delegation also briefed international partners on India’s response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism.
What’s Going Viral?
A video showing Tharoor allegedly criticising US President Donald Trump has gone viral on social media. In the video, the Congress MP draws a comparison between Donald Trump and former US presidents, stating that Trump lacks the agreeable and pleasant demeanour expected of a distinguished leader. Social media users who are sharing the video claim that Tharoor made these statements during the all-party delegation visit to the US.
Tharoor says, “Look, it is really not our place, especially since I have been introduced as a member of the Indian parliament and so on. I should not be commenting on political leaders in foreign countries on their soil. But having said it is also true that people have political preferences. And mine is not a political preference. I do not pay taxes here, so I do not care if they are higher or lower. I am not seeking to be an immigrant here; even when I had the right to apply, I did not. And therefore, I am not worried about their stand on immigration. Those are other issues. On policy issues, everybody in this hall is entitled to their own preferences. But just the personal manner strikes me as not entirely as agreeable or pleasant as one would like to see in a distinguished American political figure. I had the great honour of meeting four or five American presidents during my time in the US and having detailed conversations with both the Bushes with Clinton. Much briefly with Obama. I mean, these are people of a certain class, a certain distinction, and it is not politics. Two republicans on that list and two democrats. But there was a certain political heft, statesman-like gravitas and intellectual quality that I find woefully lacking in this gentleman.”
No Class
— Saffron Swamy (@SaffronSwamyy) May 25, 2025
No Statesman like Gravitas
Not even Intellectual Quality
Just a Thrash Got Lucky Twice
Modi Chosen Sashi Tharoor to give it back to Trump in US itself
And Shashi Tharoor grabbed the opportunity and shown Trump mirror to Trump on US soil without taking his name pic.twitter.com/OVQpYEa3le
Sharing the video, an X user wrote: “No Class. No Statesman like Gravitas. Not even Intellectual Quality. Just a Thrash Got Lucky Twice. Modi chose Sashi Tharoor to give it back to Trump in the US itself. And Shashi Tharoor grabbed the opportunity and showed Trump a mirror to Trump on US soil without taking his name.”
Investigation
After a reverse image search of the video frames, News24 found this claim to be misleading. The video is old and dates back to September 2024.
The video was actually posted by Asia Society on Instagram on September 24, 2024, indicating that it is not related to Tharoor’s recent visit to the US.
The quote was linked to Tharoor’s appearance at the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) 2024, during which he was questioned about Donald Trump.
“But just the personal manner strikes me as not entirely as agreeable or pleasant as one would like to see in a distinguished American political figure,” Tharoor said.
The Instagram account also informed in the caption that the full video was available to watch on YouTube. “Watch the full discussion on the Asia Society YouTube channel—link in bio,” it said in the description.
When we visited the YouTube channel, we found that the video featured Tharoor in an exclusive conversation with India Today’s Aroon Purie. The channel stated that Tharoor delivered these remarks at the Jaipur Literature Festival held in the US in September 2024.
Trump did not hold the office of US President in September 2024 and was elected on January 20, 2025.
Conclusion
News24’s verification confirms that the claim about Tharoor targeting Trump during his US trip is misleading.
Claim Review: Shashi Tharoor Slammed Donald Trump During All-Party Delegation Visit To US
Claimed By: X users
Fact Check: False
