Donald Trump's return to the US presidency is widely perceived as exemplifying virulent American carnage. Despite New Delhi's feigned optimism, US-Indian relations have been disturbed as well. In this environment, India has sought to protect its past bilateral gains by mollifying Trump through conciliatory diplomacy. Indian policymakers have moved in several directions to protect the relationship with the US. However, the destruction of the liberal international order will consolidate bipolarity and undermine the countervailing forces that could resist China's rise, potentially causing enduring strategic losses for India.