Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna has sharply responded to President Donald Trump after the president attacked him twice on Friday, 31 October — first at the White House and again at a midterm rally in Daytona, Florida — over Khanna's public criticism of the financial cost of the war with Iran. The exchange has drawn national attention just days before midterm elections on Tuesday, 3 November.

What Trump Said

Speaking in the Oval Office on 30 October, Trump singled out the California Democrat by name. "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.

Trump went on to argue that expenditure in Iran had been offset by financial gains elsewhere. "But any money we've spent in Iran, we've more than made up for with what we did in Venezuela, taken in hundreds of billions of dollars, many, many times," he added.

Hours later, at the Daytona rally, Trump returned to the subject. "I watch this total dope, Ro Khanna," he said, according to reports. "Fox puts him on all the time. You know, Fox is giving Democrats more time than they give Republicans." Trump also called Khanna a "radical left loser" over the congressman's calls for impeachment proceedings.

Khanna's Counterattack on X

Khanna responded directly on X, matching the president's combative tone. "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," he wrote. He added: "If you get a break from bragging about oil company profits and playing golf, tune in!" Khanna did not specify which Fox programme he would appear on.

In a separate earlier post, Khanna drew a pointed historical comparison. "Trump said Bush 'didn't seem smart' for spending trillions in the Middle East. Now he calls me a 'lightweight' for opposing $47 billion in Iran," he wrote. "Spend that money on jobs and childcare for Americans. His voters wanted him to stay out of war. He lied. Result: Blue Tsunami Tuesday," Khanna added. The $47 billion figure is Khanna's own estimate of the war's cost.

Background and Context

Khanna had appeared on Fox & Friends on the morning of 31 October, criticising the Iran war and raising the possibility of impeachment proceedings against the president — remarks that appear to have directly triggered Trump's back-to-back attacks. Khanna represents California's 17th Congressional District in Silicon Valley and is among the most prominent Indian American members of Congress. He has been a consistent and vocal critic of the administration's foreign policy.

Notably, the exchange arrives at a charged political moment: Americans vote in the midterm elections on Tuesday, 3 November, and both sides are seeking to frame the Iran conflict as an electoral liability for the other.

What This Signals

The spat reflects a broader Democratic effort to make the Iran war — and its reported cost — a defining issue in the midterms. Critics argue that the administration has not provided a full accounting of expenditure, making Khanna's $47 billion figure difficult to independently verify. For Trump, attacking prominent opposition voices at campaign rallies is a well-established tactic to energise his base in the final stretch before an election. With polls closing in days, the rhetorical stakes on both sides are high.