Web Desk — November 6, 2025
Miami: US President Donald Trump doubled down on his earlier claims about the 2019 India-Pakistan aerial clash, asserting during a Miami business forum speech that “in reality, 8 planes were shot down.”
Addressing the audience, Trump recounted hearing media reports at the time: “I heard in some newspapers that 7 or 8 planes were downed. One paper said 7 were shot down, one was damaged—I won’t name it, most give fake news.” He contrasted this with what he called the true figure, emphasizing his administration’s role in de-escalation: “But in reality, during the Pak-India war, 8 planes were shot down. We stopped the war between two nuclear countries with tariffs—well, we’ll see how Zohran Mamdani works in New York, we’ll give him a little help.”
Trump then pivoted to domestic politics, criticizing New York voters for electing “left-wing” Zohran Mamdani as mayor. “New Yorkers elected Zohran Mamdani and lost America’s sovereignty,” he said, labeling the progressive politician a “communist” now leading the nation’s largest city. “A communist became mayor of America’s biggest city—let’s see what steps he takes. We want New York to succeed.”
The remarks echo Trump’s past commentary on the February 2019 dogfight following the Pulwama attack, where official accounts from both sides reported one downed aircraft each—India’s MiG-21 with pilot Abhinandan Varthaman captured and later released, and Pakistan claiming to have shot down two Indian jets but confirming only one. Trump’s inflated figure of eight has drawn skepticism from military analysts, who attribute it to his tendency for hyperbole.
The speech also highlighted Trump’s ongoing tariff threats as a foreign policy tool, though details on “helping” Mamdani remained vague. Mamdani, a democratic socialist and state assembly member, has not yet responded to the barbs.
