A senior US lawmaker from President Donald Trump’s Republican Party on Wednesday strongly backed India’s assertion that Pakistan-based terror groups were behind the Pahalgam massacre. In a first vocal endorsement by Washington of New Delhi’s position, Representative Bill Huizenga stated that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its proxy outfit, The Resistance Front (TRF), were responsible for the April attack that killed 26 people.
Huizenga made the remarks during the House Foreign Affairs South and Central Asia Subcommittee’s hearing on the “US-India Strategic Partnership: Securing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific”. He said the designation of LeT and TRF underscored the shared commitment between Washington and New Delhi to counterterrorism and “fight terror wherever it occurs”.
The massacre took place on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region, where three terrorists opened fire on mostly tourist groups. The attack killed 26 people and eventually led to India’s response in the form of Operation Sindoor in May.
US lawmaker Bill Huizenga says Lashkar-e-Taiba (Pakistan based terror group), its proxy The Resistance Front responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack, & it "was designated by the Trump administration as foreign terrorist organizations in July of 2025" pic.twitter.com/e1q6Y6r5JR
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) December 11, 2025
Shifting dynamics
His comments also came against the backdrop of shifting US-India-Pakistan dynamics. Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for “stopping” the war between India and Pakistan and he also invited Pakistan’s Field Marshall Asim Munir and PM Shehbaz Sharif for a lunch at White House.
The downturn in Washington’s ties with India coincided with Pakistan’s closer alignment with Trump. Pakistan’s closeness with the White House also led to Islamabad benefitting from a lower 19% tariff, compared to the 50% levy imposed on India.
Huizenga’s remarks also coincided with the Trump administration’s approval of a $686 million package to upgrade Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets.
Concerns about India’s SCO participation
During the hearing, Huizenga raised concerns about India’s participation in forums involving Russia, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). However, he noted that New Delhi has been taking steps to reduce its reliance on Russian energy.
Warning that authoritarian powers like China and Russia are attempting to redraw borders by force, he cited tensions along the India-China border. The lawmaker further pointed out that Chinese troops have killed Indian soldiers since 2020, which resulted in India to respond “decisively” to military pressure.