Last week, former U.S. President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform to criticize the treatment of Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh, describing the country as being “in a total state of chaos.” He also praised the U.S. partnership with India, with U.S. Hindu activists suggesting that his comments were a result of their advocacy.
Meanwhile, supporters of Imran Khan, the imprisoned former Pakistani prime minister, may have hoped Trump would address Khan’s situation. In the lead-up to Pakistan’s national elections in February, the Pakistani government had clamped down heavily on Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Many in the Pakistani American community, which numbers around 625,000, believed that a second term for Trump could lead to more attention on Khan’s plight. During his presidency, Trump met with Khan several times, including at the White House, and referred to him as a “good friend.”
However, these interactions were likely motivated more by Trump’s desire to have Khan facilitate talks with the Taliban to begin the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, rather than any genuine personal connection. Trump’s silence on Khan’s situation during his campaign suggests that, if re-elected, Pakistan and Khan’s case are unlikely to be high on his list of priorities.
