India connect of Team Trump: Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel, several Indian-Americans hold key posts in Donald Trump's administration

From Tulsi Gabbard to Kash Patel, US President Donald Trump's administration features a number of high-profile names that brag an India connect. Since Trump's inauguration on January 20, 2025, New Delhi has taken a number of steps to improve the US-India relations. In what may be perceived as the Republican president's affection towards the South Asian nation and its Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his cabinet features multiple individuals, including Kashyap 'Kash' Patel - the first Indian-origin and openly Hindu person to be appointed as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director - that have their roots in India, or deep connection with Hindusim, like Gabbard.

Trump's cabinet:

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Administrator of the Small Business Administration, Kelly Loeffler - confirmed
Attorney General Pam Bondi - confirmed
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, John Ratcliffe - confirmed
Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard - confirmed
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought - confirmed
Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins - confirmed
Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick - confirmed
Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth - confirmed
Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon
Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright - confirrmed
Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy, Jr - confirmed
Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem - confirmed
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Scott Turner - confirmed
Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum - confirmed
Secretary of Labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Secretary of State, Marco Rubio - confirmed
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins - confirmed
Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy - confirmed
Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent - confirmed
United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Elise Stefanik
United States Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer

Let's take a look at Donald Trump's 2.0 cabinet and its India connect:

Kash Patel's Indian values

Patel recently won the hearts on the internet after he was seen touching the feets of his parents and embracing his Indian roots at his confirmation hearing to head the department on January 31. Speaking at the event, Patel greeted his parents with "Jai Shri Krishna", a gesture mostly used in the Indian state of Gujarat.

In the viral video circulated on social media, Patel said, "I'd like to welcome my father, Pramod, and my mother, Anjana, who is sitting here today. They travelled here from India. My sister, Nisha, is also here. She also travelled across the ocean just to be with me. It means the world that you guys are here. Jai Shri Krishna.”

He has also voiced support for Ayodhya Ram Mandir, an important project of Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The newly confirmed FBI director has long-been an advocate of the India-US ties and has been known to be vocal in support of Hindu sentiments.

During the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Patel spoke against the mainstream American media which presented the situation in the context of Hindu nationalism. He slammed the media outlets for ignoring the cultural and historical significance of the site.

Tulsi Gabbard's compassion for Hindus

Tulsi Gabbard is the first Hindu Congresswoman in the history of America. In 2021, Gabbard introduced a resolution in the US Congress for protection of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. She even slammed the Pakistan army for its atrocities against Hindus in 1971.

Harmeet K Dhillon's support for Indian farmers

In 2020, Dillon showed her support for the protesting Indian farmers against the farm bill. Through a post on the microblogging site X, she urged the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "hear them" and meet the farmers. She shared the post with hashtag #IStandWithFarmers.

Sriram Krishnan - Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence (AI)

After his appointment as the Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Sriram Krishnan faced major backlash from several far-right Americans who accused him of removing all caps on green cards so foreign students can come to the United States and take up jobs that should instead go to Americans.

Jay Bhattacharya - Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Jay Bhattacharya is an India-American scientist and economist who hails from the Indian state of West Bengal.

(With inputs from agencies)