Washington, November 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna has responded sharply to US President Donald Trump after the latter repeatedly targeted him over his criticism of the financial cost of the war with Iran, calling him a “lightweight” at the White House and a “total dope” during a campaign rally in Florida.
Speaking in the Oval Office on October 30, Trump criticised Khanna for questioning the money spent on the conflict.
“I watch this guy, Ro Khanna, who’s a lightweight. And he was saying that, ‘President Trump is spending a lot of money.’ Well, I spent a lot of money in order to get rid of a nuclear weapon, which we’ve done,” Trump said.
He further claimed that the money spent in Iran had been more than recovered through US actions in Venezuela, which he said had generated hundreds of billions of dollars.
Later that day, addressing a midterm election rally in Daytona, Florida, Trump again attacked the California Democrat.
“I watch this total dope, Ro Khanna,” Trump said, according to HuffPost. He also complained that Fox News was giving Democrats more airtime than Republicans.
Trump said he had watched Khanna on Fox News earlier that morning and criticised the network for featuring him. He also called the Congressman a “radical left loser” over his calls for impeachment.
Responding on X, Khanna thanked Trump for what he described as four references to him during the day and announced that he would appear on Fox News on Sunday to discuss the administration’s handling of the Iran conflict.
“Thanks for the 4 shoutouts today, Mr. President. I’ll be on Fox this Sunday to share more of my thoughts on your failure in Iran and how it’s raised gas and food prices,” Khanna wrote.
“If you get a break from bragging about oil company profits and playing golf, tune in!” he added. He did not specify which Fox programme he would appear on.
In an earlier post, Khanna drew a comparison with former President George W. Bush’s spending on military operations in the Middle East.
“Trump said Bush ‘didn’t seem smart’ for spending trillions in the Middle East. Now he calls me a ‘lightweight’ for opposing $47B in Iran,” Khanna wrote.
He argued that the money should instead be spent on jobs and childcare for Americans, adding that voters had wanted Trump to keep the country out of war.
“His voters wanted him to stay out of war. He lied. Result: Blue Tsunami Tuesday,” Khanna said.
The $47 billion figure was cited by Khanna. HuffPost described it as the estimated cost of the war.
Khanna had appeared on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” hours before Trump’s remarks, criticising the Iran war and raising the possibility of impeachment proceedings.
Representing California’s 17th Congressional District in Silicon Valley, Khanna is among the prominent Indian American members of Congress and a frequent critic of the Trump administration’s foreign policy.
The United States is scheduled to hold its midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3.
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