Ro Khanna backs Aisha Farooqi in Michigan

In a 58-second meet-and-greet video recorded in Farmington Hills, US Congressman Ro Khanna publicly backed Democratic candidate Aisha Farooqi for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District—framing the moment as a reminder of “what this country is about” after he c

The meet-and-greet wasn’t meant to be a political speech. It was a conversation—short, warm, and filmed for 58 seconds in Farmington Hills—until Congressman Ro Khanna offered a line that landed like a headline.

Aisha Farooqi. the Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District. posted the clip on X with the caption: “Grateful to have congressman @RoKhanna join us on the campaign trail here in Michigan!” In the video. Farooqi and Khanna chat about Bollywood films. Indian food. drinks and sport instead of policy.

Early on, Farooqi points out the overlaps. “So you know, two things we have in common. Yeah. Three things, actually,” she says. When Khanna asks, “Which is?”, Farooqi replies: “We’re both lawyers. Both Punjabis. Both South Asians.”

Then Khanna adds the moment’s punchline—Pakistan and India, America and identity, all in one sentence. “And now you’ve got an Indian American endorsing a Pakistani American. Pakistani American.”

Farooqi pauses, looking around as if to underline the absurd beauty of it. “Look at that. Look at that. Only in America.”

Khanna answers simply: “That’s what this country is about.”

The conversation continues in the same easy rhythm. Farooqi asks Khanna about Shah Rukh Khan. Khanna says “My Name is Khan is one of my favorite movies.” Their talk drifts to snacks too: Farooqi picks “Samosa,” then adds, “but during Ramadan, pakora.” Khanna counters with “Paneer pakora.”

Even the drinks stay personal. Farooqi says, “I’m drinking mango lassi, but chai.” Khanna responds that he likes chai too, but the mango lassi “isn’t bad.”

When Farooqi asks whether they prefer Bollywood or Hollywood, Khanna keeps it familiar. “Both. I like them both. I like Hollywood. My mom made me watch too many silly Hollywood movies.”

Sport comes next, with both landing on the same answer: “Basketball.”

Farooqi isn’t just a campaign face in Michigan. She is a Michigan-based attorney, born in Aberdeen, Scotland. She holds a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and a psychology degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She also serves on the Michigan Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board.

Khanna, for his part, has represented California’s 17th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives since 2017. The Indian-American Democrat was born in Philadelphia to Indian immigrant parents. He is known for work on technology policy. manufacturing. economic issues and US-India relations. and he serves on the House Armed Services Committee. He has long advocated stronger ties between the US and India.

The endorsement arrives days after Khanna said that US-India relations were at their lowest point in nearly 30 years. Speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Leadership Summit in Washington. he blamed US President Donald Trump’s “destructive policies” for weakening trust between the two countries and called for rebuilding the bilateral relationship.

The sequence in the video is telling. They skip politics for pop culture and food, yet Khanna still chooses to name what the endorsement represents—an Indian American backing a Pakistani American—then ties it back to a single idea of America.

On Farooqi’s post. the political message is carried in the details people actually share when they meet: lawyers. South Asian communities. Bollywood favorites. Ramadan pakora. paneer pakora. mango lassi. chai. and basketball—wrapped together under a one-line endorsement that sounds less like a strategy pitch and more like a statement of belonging.

Ro Khanna Aisha Farooqi Michigan's 11th Congressional District Farmington Hills endorsement Indian-American Pakistani-American meet-and-greet Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan mango lassi chai samosa pakora paneer pakora basketball