Watch | ‘Indian-American endorsing a Pakistani-American’: Ro Khanna backs Aisha Farooqi in Michigan primaries

In the Democratic Party's primaries in Michigan, Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has endorsed Pakistani-American Aisha Farooqi.

Farooqi shared a video on X in which she and Khanna, a progressive, chatted informally on the sidelines of the election campaign. She said that she was "grateful to have Congressman Ro Khanna join us on the campaign trail here in Michigan".

"Now you've got an Indian American endorsing a Pakistani American," Khanna said on his part.

Farooqi is one of the four Democratic candidates seeking the party's nomination for the House of Representative's seat for Michigan's 11th Congressional District. She is a trained lawyer and a daughter of Pakistani immigrants. The other candidates are State Senator Jeremy Moss, court administrator John Paul Torres, and engineer Don Ufford. She has made democratic freedoms and cost-of-living crisis under President Donald Trump the central theme of her campaign.

More from World

Farooqi's campaign referred to her family's time in "authoritarian" Pakistan and said she was alarmed to see democracy unravel in the United States, and at seeing political dissent being silenced, people targeted and disappeared, and the balance of power tipping dangerously towards a single individual.

"At the same time, working families are being crushed by the rising cost of groceries, healthcare, housing and prescription drugs, while billionaires and corporations rig the system to enrich themselves. Aisha has seen friends go bankrupt caring for aging parents. She’s watched people suffer simply because they got sick. That’s why she supports affordable and accessible healthcare, because in America, no one should have to choose between their health and their home," the campaign further said.

'Only in America': Farooqi on Khanna's endorsement

After Khanna's endorsement, Farooqi said that an Indian-American endorsing a Pakistani-American was an act that could only happen in the United States.

In the candid video, Khanna and Farooqi discussed Bollywood, food, and their shared passions. The video was shot on the sidelines of a meet-and-greet in Farmington Hills during the campaign.

Farooqi said that they had three things in common: "We're both lawyers, both Punjabis, both South Asians."

Khanna added: "And now you've got an Indian American endorsing a Pakistani American. Pakistani American."

Farooqi replied: "Look at that. Look at that. Only in America!"

Khanna chimed in to say "that's what this country is about".

Khanna is a five-term member of the House of Representatives from California's 17th Congressional District, which is located in the heart of Silicon Valley. The 49-year-old is a leading progressive voice in the Democratic Party and is seeing a future presidential candidate. He is a leading commentator on Indian diaspora affairs and an advocate for a closer India-US relationship. Lately, he has criticised Trump for adversely affecting the India-US ties, telling PTI earlier this week that the president has "really done such damage to the relationship, this is not opinion, this is fact".

Khanna has been a critic of Trump's tariffs and foreign policy, such as the war on Iran, and has said these actions have collectively harmed the United States' relationship with India, Europe, and other partners.