The camaraderie between US President-elect Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always been the talk of the town whenever the two leaders met for bilateral meetings or during global events.
India's ties with US were expected to grow no matter who sits in the Oval Office due to New Delhi's strategic importance for Washington and strong people-to-people ties between the countries. But Trump's return to presidency adds a special touch to the ties, which went from strength to strength during his first term from 2016 to 2020.
During Trump 1.0, PM Modi and Donald Trump headlined two mega events — 'Howdy Modi' in Houston and 'Namaste Trump' in Gujarat — which attracted tens of thousands of supporters.
With bear hugs, personal warmth and hand-in-hand walks, the two leaders sent an unmistakable message to the world that India has cemented its position as a solid ally of US.
During his congratulatory phone call to Trump after his victory, PM Modi on Wednesday recalled the Howdy Modi event in September 2019 and the Namaste Trump event during President Trump’s visit to India in February 2020. That he was among the first global heads to congratulate Trump on his impressive victory also signified the strong bond between them.
Friends and benefits
"Great man", "good friend of mine", "fantastic man", "nicest human being", "magnificent man" — these are some of the accolades Trump has used to describe Modi over the years.
In an interview during the campaign trail this year, Trump spoke highly of PM Modi and described him as a "friend".
“Modi (India), he's a friend of mine, he’s great. Before him being appointed as the Prime Minister, India was very unstable. On the outside, he looks like he's your father. He is the nicest and a total killer," Trump said.
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He went on to recall the "Howdy, Modi" event in Houston. "It was me and him and it was beautiful. It was a gathering of around 80,000 people and it felt like crazy. We were walking around. We have a very good relationship. He is the nicest human being," he said.
Even while criticising India over high tariffs recently, Trump avoided saying anything against Modi and described him as a "friend" and a "great man".
"We have a great relationship with India. I did. And especially the leader, Modi. He's a great leader. Great man. Really is a great man. He's brought it together. He's done a great job. But they probably charge as much [tariffs] as China".
The appreciation has been mutual.
In his post on X to congratulate Trump, Modi described him as his "friend".
During campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, PM Modi spoke in details about his bonhomie with Trump. "My personal experience [with Trump] is contrary to what we often hear [about him]," he said.
PM Modi recalled his first meeting with Trump, saying he spent as many as 9 hours in the White House. "He showed me the room where Abraham Lincoln used to stay. He did not have any piece of paper with him or anything else, but he told me about the history of everything [in the room] date-wise ... and I was impressed. He also showed me his own room," he said.
PM Modi said that he had "family-like relations" with Trump and recalled his daughter Ivanka Trump's visit to India during his first term.
The bromance between Modi and Trump is only expected to continue when the Republican leader returns to the White House in January. It also augurs well for broader India-US ties which have been on an upswing in the last few years.
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