Tahawwur Rana, a key conspirator in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, is being extradited from the US to India after years of legal efforts. The NIA has secured approval to try him in Delhi, and he is expected to be lodged in Tihar Jail upon arrival. Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the extradition as a major diplomatic win for the Modi government.
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00:0026.11 plotter conspirator Tahavar Hussein Rana is in the custody of Indian authorities.
00:05A confirmation has now come in. The website of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons,
00:09which basically was supervising till Tahavar Rana was in the custody in America,
00:14has updated the status with regard to Rana. They are saying that, and I quote it here,
00:20not in BOP custody as of 4th, as of 8th April 2025.
00:26This, remember, says as much. USA done and dusted with Tahavar Hussein Rana.
00:34His plea was rejected. He was making all sorts of claims that he will be tortured,
00:38persecuted because he's a Pakistani-origin Muslim, and if he's sent to India, they'll torture him.
00:44But the U.S. also realizing that against him are charges of having carried out a carnage in Mumbai
00:50in an Indian city, and if India wants its extradition, USA would want to ensure
00:56that process follows. So after that legal options were all wiped off, all done and dusted,
01:03USA has now confirmed with the website of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons,
01:06updating their status on Tahavar Hussein Rana's file, saying that not in BOP custody
01:13as of 8th April 2025. Basically, that means that he's been handed over to the Indian authorities.
01:19You must know he's currently en route. He's on an aircraft right now.
01:22In the next few hours, as more details come in, he'll be then landing in Delhi.
01:27Shivani Sharma, my colleague, joins me from the NIA office.
01:30Shivani closely tracks the investigation agencies as well,
01:33and the MEA about what precisely is happening here.
01:36Tell me about the arrangements that will be made, and I'm also eager to know
01:41how the Indian authorities will go ahead with the trial.
01:44We have the evidence, we have the dossier. With Ajmal Kassab, there was still a lot of prep
01:50that was being done after he was arrested, after he was taken in custody.
01:54With Tahavar Hussein Rana, it's been all clear for 17 years now.
02:02Puja, the official confirmation has now come on the website of the Bureau of Prisons
02:07from the United States that since 8th April, he's not in their records.
02:12That means he is in the custody of Indian agencies because he's being extradited to India.
02:16He's on route this special flight with the NIA officials, other officials too.
02:21And when we talk of the arrangements, India was waiting for him to be extradited.
02:25So the arrangements are all done. The preparations are on high priority.
02:29We know that the security agencies have been working for years for him to come here
02:33and the investigation to move further so that he faces justice in India.
02:38And now when he will be landing in India, he will be moved to Tihar Jail.
02:42The preparations are all done for him to be lodged in the Tihar Jail barrack,
02:47which has already been prepared for him.
02:49And he will be produced before the special NIA court today itself.
02:54That's what the sources are indicating.
02:56For his movement, there are special arrangements, there are special security vehicles
03:00that have been put in place and there are security forces in multi-layered security zones
03:07in the airport, on the airport and as well as at the NIA headquarters
03:11where we are present right now.
03:12So what we are being told is that when he lands here,
03:15his movement will be potentially secured.
03:19He will not be, might not be seen by people around
03:23because he will be moved in that high sensitive security procedures.
03:27So he will be put in the jail, he will be arrested by the NIA formally,
03:33even though we know that he is already in the custody of NIA officials
03:36when he is moving to India.
03:37And then the investigations will begin as soon as possible
03:40and it can also happen today itself, Pooja.
03:42Though the courts are closed because of Mavir Jainti in India,
03:45but a special judge might hear virtually
03:48and he will be produced before the special court.
03:51So immediate protocol will have to follow.
03:53The fact that he is here, Indian government also realizing
03:57they cannot waste time on him
03:59because the eyewitnesses, the families destroyed
04:01wouldn't want what was sort of a criticism once with Ajmal Kassab
04:06that we kept him for too long in the prisons.
04:10That we let even though a fair trial happen,
04:12but perhaps the decision could have come sooner too.
04:15Shivani, stay on with me.
04:16This 26-11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind
04:21has been extradited by the United States of America.
04:24He is set to land in New Delhi.
04:26By afternoon, we are told,
04:28he will officially immediately be arrested
04:29by the National Investigation Agency the moment he lands.
04:32He will then undergo a trial at the special NIA court in Delhi.
04:35All procedures, protocols, all are ready.
04:37Sources say that the Havar Hussein Rana
04:39could be produced virtually though initially
04:42before the special NIA judge
04:44because there are security concerns.
04:45You must know, the government hasn't wasted time here.
04:48Just like Ujwal Nikam was a special public prosecutor
04:51in the Ajmal Kassab trial case,
04:54Narendar Maan has been appointed
04:56as the special public prosecutor
04:57for this high-profile case.
05:00Likelihood that he will be lodged at the Tehaar jail
05:03when Rana arrives in Delhi.
05:06Preparations have been made.
05:07The jail is ready.
05:08Heightened security for this high-profile prisoner
05:10after his extradition.
05:12The senior Delhi police officials have been assigned
05:14to support the NIA legal team.
05:16So, there will be a full-on deployment
05:18and on your screen,
05:20what kind of arrangements are being made.
05:22Meanwhile,
05:23Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserting
05:24that Taha Vrana's extradition
05:25is a major diplomatic victory
05:27of the Modi-led government.
05:29Remember, it took 17 years.
05:31But we have got the man
05:33who wrecked in Mumbai
05:34just a week before the carnage
05:37because he wanted to be very sure
05:39that he has the logistics with him
05:41that led to the loss of life
05:44of innocent 170 people.
05:47I think this is a major development
05:51and it establishes a yardstick of sorts.
05:57Taha Vrana has been an ISI agent for a long time.
06:02They were one of the key facilitators
06:03in North America,
06:08whether it is Canada or the United States.
06:10He, in fact, facilitated the travels
06:12of David Coleman Hedley
06:15when he came to Rikki,
06:16the targets for the 2008 attack.
06:20He arranged his travel plans,
06:23visas, everything.
06:26So, he is a key person.
06:27He is a key person
06:28who was involved in the conspiracy
06:30for the attack.
06:40He is a key person.
07:10He is a key person.
07:13He is a key person.
07:16Absolutely.
07:18And when found guilty
07:19by the Indian courts,
07:20I would like to see him hung in public.
07:25India Today's team of reporters
07:27is presently on the ground.
07:28Shivani Sharma is right in front
07:30of the NIA office.
07:31Amit Bhardwaj is at the Delhi airport.
07:33Remember that while a lot of details
07:36are out already officially,
07:37but there would be a certain secrecy also
07:39So that would be maintained because he's, after all, a high security prisoner.
07:43Amit, tell me this, that at this point, what do you think is the strategy of the Indian government?
07:48What happens when he lands at the Delhi airport, preparations at the jail and how the government will want to proceed with this case?
07:56I believe they see this as a big diplomatic victory, too.
08:04All right, Pooja, you know, let's break it down for our viewers right now.
08:07The moment Tahavur Hussain Rana is brought to India and he'll land at the airport facility in the national capital,
08:16there will be a secrecy around it, certainly, but the security deployments is certainly very detailed at this point in time.
08:23The first responder after he's brought out of the craft will be the Nyayik Suraksha unit of the Delhi police.
08:32And this will be a specialized vehicle in which Tahavur Hussain Rana will be put into.
08:38The unit has been on standby since 7 a.m. in the morning and they have been put at the designated place at the airport facility.
08:46So the moment Tahavur Hussain Rana is brought back by the NIA,
08:50he will be put inside the specialized vehicle of the Nyayik Suraksha unit of Delhi police.
08:55And from there, he will be transported to the hard jail where the, you know,
09:00very detailed security arrangements about his cell has been also done already.
09:06Now, what we are given to understand is that instead of taking him physically to the court,
09:11what is likely to happen today is that he will be, you know, presented in front of the court virtually.
09:18And from there, the custody part will be taken care of.
09:22Remember, because he is being brought from the United States, certain kind of protocols needs to be maintained
09:27because it is also about the diplomacy between India and United States.
09:32And the legal, you know, protocols of the United States will be also kept in mind
09:39while dealing with his transportation, his security and other details.
09:43But beyond that, who is going to be Ujjwal Nikam of this particular case?
09:48Because a special public prosecutor has been already appointed by the Indian government
09:52in order to ensure that the case is fast-tracked.
09:56The officials have been also appointed for the further legal processes in this particular case.
10:03So Narendra Maan is going to be the special, you know, public prosecutor of this 2611 case
10:09as far as Tahabur Hussain Rana's role is concerned.
10:12And he will be representing NIA and fighting on behalf of the NIA.
10:17The legal battle will be fought by him.
10:19And stay on with me because I also want to bring in a word from Shivani here.
10:24Shivani, tell us about the details of what NIA has said in the dossier
10:28about all the charges that have been against him.
10:31Because for the viewer, just in case wondering, but it was Ajmal Kassab and his team.
10:36Others, of course, then eventually shot dead that they were the ones who pulled the trigger.
10:41Why is Tahabur Hussain Rana perhaps the bigger of the evils among them?
10:50See, if we talk about the dossier and what Tahabur Hussain Rana has done in this particular attack
10:57is very important for the viewers also to know that he has been the key conspirer.
11:02He has not only facilitated the terrorists, the 10 terrorists who were responsible
11:08for this massacre in Mumbai on 2611-2008.
11:12He also facilitated in terms of logistics, in terms of information.
11:17And he allowed, and he personally also did recce of this whole area.
11:2210 different terrorists and different locations that were targeted
11:27were all on the maps by Tahabur Hussain Rana.
11:30And this investigation will also bring in his connections with the ISI.
11:35He himself is an ex-Pakistani army official.
11:39He has been working in collaboration with the terror organizations against India.
11:43And not only in India, Pooja, there have been his terror impacts all over the world.
11:48There have been other attacks also in which he has been wanted by different organizations.
11:52And he was lodged in a center in United States and United States prison.
11:58But when he comes to India, it is more important because, you know,
12:02this investigation will unfold the layers of the involvement of Pakistan's terror nexus
12:08that has been targeting India since decades.
12:11Logistical support on one side.
12:13But when I quote from the NIA dossier, and this was a fact,
12:16and it's just mind-boggling to think how this planning was done.
12:20The fact that Tahabur Hussain Rana was in India, not just in Mumbai.
12:24He traveled with his wife to other parts also of the country.
12:27That November 13th to November 21, days before 2611 terror attack was carried out,
12:34he was in the country, in Mumbai, carrying out recce logistics,
12:40ensuring that with David Coleman Headley, they have all the details
12:44that would then be given to the Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders,
12:47Hafiz Saeed and others, who would then give it to the terrorist radicalized jihadists
12:52who were sent from Pakistan and then managed to sadly carry out that carnage on 2611.
12:58Shivani and Amit, thank you very much for all your details.
13:01We'll keep coming back to you.
13:02This is the big story of the day, but you need to also know about
13:06what the protocol is in this case.
13:08India Today's Rahul Kaval spoke to former NIA Director General Y.C. Modi
13:12about what will be the procedure, what happens when Rana lands in Delhi.
13:21How significant do you think?
13:23You know, as Mr. Singh mentioned, the last big fish we got back
13:27was Abu Saleem from Portugal, and after that we're getting Rana.
13:30How do they compare?
13:32I think you should go in the background of the formation of NIA.
13:38NIA was established after Mumbai attack, 2611.
13:46And it was a matter of prestige for us to get this man to India.
13:54You are in this regard, in complete coordination with Ministry of External Affairs,
14:01with our political agency as well.
14:05We could, external affairs, we could achieve this because of, we made it a point.
14:12In fact, in my meetings with my officers, I used to discuss this case very regularly.
14:18And we answered hundreds of queries of U.S. government.
14:23I don't know whether you are aware, because in extradition proceedings,
14:27NIA cannot appear, or government of India cannot appear.
14:31It is the U.S. prosecution authorities, they appear in the court.
14:36So we had to first convince the U.S. agencies about the evidence, adequacy of evidence, and quality of evidence,
14:45as well as to convince them that it is a matter of terrorism.
14:54And there are other cases of terrorists also pending for extradition.
14:59But in this case, because of coordination at different levels, we could convince the U.S. authorities...
15:06No, sir, AP Singh called him a mastermind of the 2611 attacks.
15:10Is he an important field operative involved in the conspiracy?
15:14Or would you also consider him a mastermind?
15:16As people try and recall what happened to them, try and focus on Rana's role,
15:20how significant a catch do you think this is, Mr. Modi?
15:23No, no, it's a very significant catch.
15:26And he is one of the two masterminds.
15:29He was the person who initiated this conspiracy that an immigration consultancy office can be set up in Mumbai.
15:41And in the garb of that consultancy office, they can make visits to different places in the country
15:48and target the locations and provide that effective information to their bosses in Pakistan
15:54so that this heinous offense, this big terrorist crime could be committed.
16:00So his role is very important.
16:03And another thing, important thing is, Headley has become a prover.
16:08And he has thrown this man under the bus that way.
16:13And now we expect that he will give, tell us the truth when our people will interrogate him.
16:20So it will be a conspiracy case, remember, against him when the trial begins.
16:26The fact how Tahovar Hussain Rana helped David Coleman Headley,
16:30the man who basically surveyed terror targets in Mumbai,
16:33how they managed to get entry into India, managed to go around Mumbai and other cities.
16:38India Today's Divyesh Singh and Nalini Sharma decoding the importance,
16:42the significance of getting Tahovar Hussain Rana to India to face the law now.
16:50The 26-11 terror attacks were planned and executed.
17:01Captain Tahovar Hussain Rana is one of the key co-conspirators of the 26-11 attack.
17:07The man who provided logistic, financial and other support to David Coleman Headley.
17:15Headley conducted extensive surveillance of targets in Mumbai.
17:20Acting as a link between L.E.T. and Pakistan's spy agency, ISI.
17:28David Headley took Rana's help to travel to India.
17:32It was Tahovar Rana who obtained the visa for David Headley
17:36by giving wrong information at the Indian consulate in Chicago.
17:42David Headley in conspiracy with Tahovar Rana started an immigration firm in Mumbai.
17:47The company First World International was used as a cover for carrying out L.E.T. and Huji operations.
17:55This is the same locality where in 2006, Tahovar Rana set up a branch office of his immigration and visa agency.
18:07Between 2006 and 2008, using this agency office of Tahovar Rana,
18:13David Coleman Headley made four to five trips to Mumbai and scouted for various locations.
18:21These locations were pinpointed by him using a GPS unit and then shared with the terrorists who carried out the attacks on 26 November 2008.
18:32In June 2006, Headley travelled to Chicago, where he met with Rana and discussed the entire terror plot.
18:42Since Rana was a former Pakistan army captain, Headley assured him of all help through Pakistan ISI handler Major Iqbal.
18:51I am at the office of Tahovar Hussain Rana, the First World Immigration Office at Devon Avenue.
19:00This is where Tahovar Hussain Rana used to sit.
19:03David Coleman Headley used this First World Immigration, the name of this office, to spread terror, not just in India, but also in Denmark.
19:13Devon Avenue is called Chicago's Chandni Chowk.
19:17But here at Chicago's Chandni Chowk, now there is genuine fear that undercover agents would be seen in larger numbers.
19:27Upon landing in India, a contact of Tahovar Hussain Rana arranged conveyance, lodging and other logistics for David Headley.
19:36In June 2007, with the assistance of Tahovar Hussain Rana, David Headley applied for an extension of his visa to India.
19:44Tahovar Hussain Rana communicated extensively with Headley during his India visits.
19:51Tahovar Hussain Rana himself visited India between 13th and 21st November 2008, less than a week before 2611 terror attacks.
20:01Apart from Mumbai, he travelled to Delhi, Agra, Ahmedabad, Kuchin and Hapur.
20:07With his extradition, Pakistan's role has been nailed.
20:13Will it lead to action against mastermind Hafiz Saeed next?
20:18With Divyeesh Singh and Nalini Sharma in Delhi, Bureau Report, India Today.
20:37He is the mastermind. He did recce from across the world, coordinating with Lashkar-e-Taiba and then also was in Mumbai just days before the massacre happened.
20:48I quote from the NIA dossier accessed by India Today.
20:51Tahovar Hussain Rana was basically a doctor, an educated man.
20:56He was an official with the Pakistan military.
20:59He's been linked to the terror plot since 2005 years before when they started to plan this.
21:06What was his role?
21:07Initially, the role was to provide financial support, logistics.
21:11And he was doing this from other countries and ensuring constantly changing his locations.
21:17He collaborated with David Coleman Headley, Abdul Rahman and Ilyas Kashmiri for future attacks.
21:23David Coleman Headley, remember, initially first managed to get visas and got it extended when he arrived in India, especially in Mumbai.
21:32Headley was the one to persuade Tahovar Hussain Rana to meet Rehman in Dubai.
21:37Like I said, multiple countries were a part of this plan in which they misused different nations' soil to plan out the terror attack.
21:45He helped Headley get Indian visa.
21:47How?
21:47They opened an immigration centre, so to say, a travel agency with a fake name.
21:53To be able to get into India, to be settling in Mumbai.
21:58It was basically a Chicago office that they used as a cover to be able to enter into Mumbai, getting a visa.
22:05According to the NIA dossier, he's been linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Huji groups.
22:11He was consistently coordinating with the terror group based in Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Taiba of Hafiz Saeed,
22:17providing information when he was in India and sadly not just in Mumbai.
22:22With his wife, NIA saves, he travelled to different cities, Agra, Merat and many more.
22:29He managed to have all this access and what was his plan?
22:33To get innocence butchered in the biggest cosmopolitan city of Mumbai.
22:38So remember that his role has been very crucial even though it was Ajmal Kassab who eventually fired the shots.
22:46Amid all of this, what is then the role of David Coleman Headley?
22:49We keep mentioning his name just to jog your memory.
22:51Again, Pakistani origin, also the real name Dawood Gilani.
22:55Conducted Mumbai target reckeys.
22:57He was before Tahavar Hussain Rana arrived in Mumbai.
23:00But this man managed to make multiple India trips, managed to get his visa extended.
23:05He was the conduit officially from the Lashkar and the ISI to be coordinating,
23:12setting up all the atmosphere, the system, the logistics for the attack
23:17that was unfortunately successfully carried out on 26-11.
23:21He was the one who was given a charge of a so-called immigrant law centre
23:26and a new office, a travel agency that was opened in Mumbai.
23:31In 2005, there were planned LET and Huji attacks.
23:34Remember, it started three years ago.
23:36Hafiz Saeed of LET was directing Hedley for target selection.
23:41And remember, all of these were deliberate targeted attacks on 26-11.
23:45Whether it was the bus terminal, whether it was the Shabbat house,
23:50they were all decided where they want to target and who they want to target.
23:54He used Tahavar Hussain Rana contacts for the cover.
23:59He had the contact that Rana provided when he was abroad for that David Coleman Hedley
24:05to have help here in India.
24:07It was in 2006 he applied for the Indian visa, arrived in Mumbai.
24:10Tahavar Hussain Rana's contact arranged his lodging, accommodation.
24:14This is where the local contacts or the OGW issue comes in, sadly.
24:19In 2007, he applied for a visa extension and got it.
24:24He got a visa extended for 10 years in the name of a travel agency.
24:29Remember, investigators could reach to David Coleman Hedley
24:32while Tahavar Hussain Rana managed to escape for 17 years.
24:36And now, that mastermind is being forced to land in India to face the law.
24:42That's what India has achieved, even though it took 17 years.
24:45Now, I mean, all of this, remember, a lot of reactions are coming in.
24:47I want you to listen in now to actress MBJP MP Kangana Ranaout
24:51on what she has to say about terrorism and the Congress party.
24:55This is the fact that the Congress is being forced to land in India to fight for 18 years.
25:12The government is being forced to land in India to fight for 18 years.
25:16The government is being forced to land in India to fight for 18 years.
25:20Also remember that Wal Tahavar Hussain Rana is, of course, the mastermind when it comes
25:47to 26.11, he's still perhaps only a puppet, the real masterminds still living in Pakistan
25:55protection. Hafiz Saeed, Zakir Rahman Lakfi, the Pakistan military who helped plan and
26:02execute 26.11 attacks and the ISI, of course. India Today's Ankit Kumar gets us this special
26:09investigation. 26.11 plotter Tahavar Hussain Rana has been extradited to India, but the
26:20main masterminds are still at large. David Coleman Headley, aka Dawud Gilani, who surveyed 26.11
26:32targets, conducted a GPS intelligence and boat recce before the terror attack. He was
26:41arrested by FBI in 2009 and turned star witness for US prosecution. Headley is currently under
26:49US witness protection program and is likely given a new identity by US officials. His official
26:58public records have been wiped out and his current whereabouts are unknown. Hafiz Saeed, founder
27:06of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayabha, that planned and executed the 26.11 Mumbai terror attacks.
27:15Saeed was sentenced by Pakistani court, but lives at Johar town, Lahore, under heavy security.
27:23He survived an explosion in 2021 near his home.
27:31Zakir Rehman Lakfi, operational commander of L.E.T. during 26.11. Lakfi trained and coordinated
27:39with the attackers as well as Headley. He recently was seen in a fitness video at Islamabad and has
27:48changed his name to Abu Wasi. Four serving officers of Pakistan's ISI and three ex-officers of the
27:58Pakistani army were also part of the 26.11 plot. Among them were Sajid Mir, Major Iqbal and Major
28:09Samir Ali, who were handlers of David Headley, Tahavar Rana and 26.11 attackers. They remain free in Pakistan.
28:21Tahavar Rana is just the tip of the iceberg. Will India get its hand on the big fish?
28:27With Ankit Kumar in Delhi, Bureau Report, India Today.
28:34So once he arrives and the trial begins, and NI will be supervising it all, of course the focus
28:40will be, will Tahavar Hussain Rana be hanged like Ajmal Kasab? Narendar Mann has been immediately,
28:46now has been deployed and designated as the special public prosecutor. Ujwal Nikam was the one in the
28:52Ajmal Kasab trial case, which means basically what will be the job. Narendar Mann will have to
28:57furnish evidence, a solid chain trail in the NIA cases, will be coordinating of course with NIA
29:03and the legal team on Tahavar Hussain Rana. Remember evidence is there already but it will
29:07have to be a solid case too. Narendar Mann's role like Ujwal Nikam's part in Kasab's case will be very
29:13crucial. Just to jog your memory, Ujwal Nikam led Pakistan terrorist Kasab to the gallows but India
29:20ensured a fair trial. It was all based on evidence, it was all based on proper chart sheet
29:26and the details that had come in from the evidence gathered. Narendar Mann's evidence,
29:31his legal team's evidence will basically decide Tahavar Hussain Rana's fate. So that's a big
29:36responsibility on his shoulders that has been granted to him by the government of the centre.
29:42One of the big issues here comes in, forensic evidence against Tahavar Rana. In Ajmal Kasab's case,
29:49remember, it was as much that it was a confession that became the key in the case but there was also
29:55visual evidence of him firing shots. So all of that did add up to his case. How will the team ensure
30:03this time that the mastermind will also perhaps get the strictest punishment because it's the
30:09families who suffered on 26-11 in 2008 will be watching very closely.
30:15In the United States of America, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik has said,
30:1990-day tariff pause is not influenced by the market. Remember, there was a clear global market
30:25meltdown, especially in Asia. President Donald Trump meanwhile abruptly decided to go back on his own
30:31tariff announcement. And for 75 countries, saying for the next 90 days, while they are clearly taking a
30:39decision on what to do, but 90 days, there will be a pause. Tax rate on Chinese imports, though,
30:45were hiked to 125%. The Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik, who had also spoken to India to remember the
30:51conclave, he now says it was not the markets that prompted Donald Trump to pause the tariff.
30:55Let's listen to what Lutnik has to say.
30:59So how can you be respectful when a country says, I want to come and talk, I will do it, I will be reasonable,
31:04I've analyzed it, and we will come and talk. How do you deal with that when you have so many countries that
31:10deserve our time and our respect? So he decided he would pause it, start at 10% for everybody, right?
31:18And let's go negotiate with all of these great countries, and let's see if we can do great deals for America.
31:24Much better deals for America. But that's the model. The reciprocal tariffs stay in place. They are 10% across
31:33the board in all the countries, right? We paused on any numbers that are above 10%. And except for China, of course,
31:41who retaliated. And then, of course, you know what's going on with China, because they've retaliated. And the
31:47President was very clear, if you retaliate, you will feel what he thinks. And they feel what he thinks. So there's 10%
31:53reciprocal tariffs across the board. But we are not going above that. We're letting each country come in. And let's
32:02negotiate fully and completely.
32:05Joining me now, Shashank Mattu from India Today Global. Shashank, leaving aside what
32:10Howard Lutnik has said, do you also think that possibly markets did have a role to play here?
32:16Well, I think Donald Trump made very clear that markets did, in fact, have a role to play. He said that he was
32:21looking at the bond market, which basically, where bond yields for American debt, which is
32:25shooting up and up, which is basically showing that markets are having diminishing confidence in
32:29United States Treasuries. And that has significant consequences for America, because it's a highly
32:34debt dependent economy. So absolutely, Donald Trump was watching the markets. What we know about him is that he has
32:39also been seeing a business he respects a great deal, saying that, look, these tariffs don't make a lot of sense.
32:45They're hurting the stock market. They'll hurt the economy. And he said in his own statement, regardless of
32:49what Howard Lutnik says, that he was watching the bond market and saw that people were getting
32:53jittery, were getting uncertain about where the tariff plan was going. And that was a factor in his
32:57decision making. So absolutely, Trump made himself.
33:00All right, Shashank, keep tracking all the latest on what precisely is happening. That's the latest that
33:07the Commerce Secretary has said that it is the respect also shown to the countries that have decided to
33:12come forth and say, let's talk about it.
33:14In case you missed throughout the night, as the details were coming in, Donald Trump made one
33:26announcement after another. On one side, facing a global market meltdown to a certain extent, he has
33:31decided to give a temporary pause to the nations that did not retaliate. And that's about 75 countries.
33:38For the next 90 days, there will be a temporary pause on the tariff rates that already though were
33:43implemented and imposed about 24 hours ago. But then he gave another statement coming to China. For
33:50their confrontational route, for their retaliation, it's now going to be from a 104% to 125%
33:58a whopping tariff imposed on Chinese goods coming into the USA. On the pause, Trump says that he
34:04implemented it, but a 10% baseline tariff will continue. And then went on to announce the steep
34:10tariff on China. He's calling China the biggest abuser of tariffs. Donald Trump, the incumbent U.S.
34:16President claims his tariff action will make China realize that the days of ripping off America are no
34:22longer acceptable. But remember, this is now a full on trade war between the two biggest economies of the
34:28world, United States of America and China. And it's only turning bitter. But in addition to that, China may act all
34:34defined. But their currency has hit an 18 year low this morning.
34:41Well, I thought that people were jumping a little bit out of line. They were getting yippy, you know,
34:48they were getting a little bit yippy, a little bit afraid, unlike these champions, because we have a big
34:54job to do. No other president would have done what I did. And if you didn't do it, you wouldn't have a
34:58country. It wouldn't be sustainable. So I'm honored to have done it. I did a 90 day pause for the people that
35:04didn't retaliate, because I told them if you retaliate, we're going to double it. And that's
35:09what I did with China because they did retaliate. So we'll see how it all works out. I think it's
35:14going to work out amazing. I think that our country is going to be at the end of a year or
35:19shorter. But I think we're going to have something that nobody would have dreamt possible.
35:23No other president would have done what I did. No other president. I know the presidents. They
35:27wouldn't have done it. And it had to be done. What was happening to us on trade, not only with
35:33you know, if you look at it, not only with China, but China was by far the biggest abuser
35:38in history and others also. But somebody had to do it. They had to stop because it was not
35:45sustainable. Last year, China made $1 trillion off trade with the United States. That's not
35:52right. And now I've reversed it. A deal could be made with every one of them. A deal is going
35:58to be made with China. A deal is going to be made with every one of them. And there'll be
36:02fair deals. I just want fair. They will be fair deals for everybody. But they weren't
36:09fair to the United States. They were sucking us dry. And you can't do that. You know, we
36:15have $36 trillion of debt for a reason. We don't have it for fun. They have it for a reason.
36:21And people took advantage of our country and they ripped us off for a very, for decades. I've been
36:28thinking about this for decades. I've been. Would you consider talking or meeting with Xi Jinping?
36:32No, sure. He's a friend of mine. I like him. President Xi. I like him. I respect him. But they
36:41haven't treated our country. I'm sure I'd meet with him.
36:45Again, President Trump created maximum negotiating leverage for himself and which terrorists went
36:51into effect 15 hours ago. The ones that we have lowered went into effect a week ago. Or
36:57they were announced a week ago. And we have just been overwhelmed, overwhelmed by the response
37:04from mostly our allies who want to come and negotiate in good faith. So we are expecting
37:10them to come with their best deal. As I said a week ago today, don't retaliate. Hold your
37:16ground. Let's see what happens. And China, they kept escalating and escalating. And
37:23now they have 125% tariffs that will be effective immediately. It's about bad actors. And what we
37:31will see is some of the very early countries are China's neighbors that we're going to
37:38see. I'm seeing Vietnam today. Japan's at the front of the queue. South Korea, India. So
37:44we will see. And as I've repeatedly said, and President Trump has been saying it for years,
37:51China is the most imbalanced economy in the history of the modern world. And they are the
37:56biggest source of the U.S. trade problems. And indeed, they are problems for the rest of the
38:02world. Because what we've seen is that as the U.S. announced the tariff wall last week, many of
38:09those goods have already started flooding into Europe. Many of you in the media clearly missed
38:15the art of the deal. You clearly failed to see what President Trump is doing here. You tried to say
38:21that the rest of the world would be moved closer to China, when in fact, we've seen the opposite
38:26effect. The entire world is calling the United States of America, not China, because they need
38:31our markets, they need our consumers, and they need this president in the Oval Office to talk
38:36to them. And that's exactly why more than 75 countries have called, because the United States
38:40of America is the best place in the world to do business. And as the president has shown great
38:45courage, as the secretary has said, in choosing to retaliate against China even higher.
38:49Now, there may be an ugly China-U.S. trade war between the politicians or the diplomats, but
38:56it's also resulted in a meme war full on on the internet. And it's especially led by the
39:01Chinese social media users. They are flooding AI memes of, for example, this one, obese Americans
39:08working, for example, in Chinese factories. What would that look like? Let's take a look at
39:13a meme war over the trade war.
39:22The world is witnessing an unprecedented trade war between the U.S. and China.
39:28escalating tariff tensions have spilled onto social media, with AI video wars captivating
39:34the internet. Chinese social media users are releasing back-to-back AI-generated videos
39:41depicting the re-industrialization of the United States. First came a video of obese Americans
39:49struggling with menial jobs with a hashtag, Make America Great Again, making fun of Trump's
40:01election war cry last year.
40:04Next came a video of U.S. President Donald Trump himself sewing clothes with another American
40:10factory workers. The Chinese social media taking a not-so-veiled dig at America's manufacturing
40:17prowess.
40:18The AI video wars did not spare Trump's closest aides either. Another video making the round
40:24on social media showed Trump, along with Dodge Chief Elon Musk and Vice President J.D. Vance,
40:31making Nike shoes in a factory, with the caption, The American Dream Comes True.
40:42While Trump's retaliatory tariffs have sparked global uncertainty, the world is playing, wait
40:48and watch for his next move. White House claims many nations have reached out for a trade agreement.
40:53This is the largest transaction in the history of our country. And don't let some of these
41:00politicians go around and say, you know, because I'm telling you, these countries are calling
41:04us up, kissing my a**. They are dying to make a deal. Please, please, sir, make a deal.
41:11I'll do anything. I'll do anything, sir. And then I'll see some rebel Republican, you know,
41:17some guy that wants to grandstand, say, I think that Congress should take over negotiation.
41:22Let me tell you, you don't negotiate like I negotiate.
41:26As China and U.S. slap tariffs on each other, fears of an imminent global recession continue to grow.
41:33Bureau Report, India Today.