US President Donald Trump, once admired by many Indian internet users for his outspoken style and perceived support for India, is now facing widespread backlash across Indian social media platforms. The discontent stems from Trump’s recent decision to impose a steep 50 percent tariff—implemented in two phases—on Indian imports to the United States. This move, reportedly in response to India’s continued procurement of discounted oil from Russia, has sparked significant online outrage and calls for retaliatory measures.
In response, a large number of Indian users have taken to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express their anger. According to an analysis conducted by India Today’s Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) team, there has been a marked surge in anti-Trump sentiment online. Hashtag and keyword tracking reveal a major spike in posts that advocate for boycotts of American companies, alongside harsh criticism of Trump himself.
In the last seven days alone, over 47,000 posts containing terms like “ban” and “boycott” have surfaced on X, specifically targeting major American brands. Notably, more than 10,000 of these posts called for a boycott of Coca-Cola. Facebook was the subject of over 9,100 boycott-related posts, while Starbucks received upwards of 5,200. Additional targets included Pizza Hut with around 2,700 posts and KFC with more than 5,000.
Between August 1 and August 7 (up to 3 pm), Indian users published at least 10,000 posts featuring phrases like “Boycott USA,” “Boycott US,” and “Boycott America.” These expressions of disapproval suggest a shift in public mood from admiration to anger and protest, signaling deep dissatisfaction with recent US policy actions.
The growing outrage has also taken a personal turn against President Trump. Social campaigns with hashtags such as #TrumpIsUnfitForOffice and “Arrest Trump” have gained traction, producing over 1,500 and 1,900 posts, respectively. In addition, nearly 300 highly agitated users have generated more than 3,000 posts filled with offensive language and personal attacks aimed at Trump. This form of online abuse is not limited to India; globally, over 2.84 lakh similar posts have been recorded in the same timeframe.
This incident marks one of the first large-scale online movements in India advocating for a boycott of American products and companies. Interestingly, a comparable movement took place in Canada three months ago, where citizens symbolically opposed American dominance by renaming the popular Americano coffee as the “Canadiano.” Across Europe, too, growing dissatisfaction with US foreign policy has prompted some consumers to turn away from American brands.
In India, the Trump Tower luxury residential complexes have also become a focal point of criticism. Many users are demanding that the Indian government impose heavy taxation on these properties, which are located in cities like Gurugram, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, and Kolkata. Developed by the Trump Organization—founded by Donald Trump before his political career—these projects have been commercially successful. Despite Trump's past derogatory remarks about India’s economy, reports indicate that his real estate ventures in the country have generated earnings of approximately ₹175 crore.
In fact, all available units in a recently launched Trump Tower project in Gurugram were sold out on the very first day. Riding on this success, plans are underway to expand the Trump Tower brand to new cities, including Noida, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. Critics argue that while Trump enacts harsh economic policies targeting Indian trade, he simultaneously profits from high-end Indian consumers, highlighting what they perceive as a glaring contradiction.
