Vikas Khanna congratulates Donald Trump on US election victory, reminds him of a promise: 'Hope to...'

Following Donald Trump’s win in the US election, prominent Indian chef Vikas Khanna extended his congratulations, sharing a memorable photo on Instagram of himself with Trump. The image was taken in 2020 during a dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan, hosted by then-President Ram Nath Kovind, and also featured Grammy-winning composer AR Rahman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In his post, Khanna recalled a promise Trump had made during their meeting four years prior, addressing him as “Mr President” and expressing his hope to bring Indian cuisine to the White House. “Hello Mr. President! Hope to cook Indian cuisine at The White House as you promised the last time we met,” Khanna captioned the post, which has since attracted thousands of likes.

However, Khanna’s gesture drew divided responses online. While some Instagram users expressed enthusiasm for the chef’s potential White House culinary project, others criticised his apparent support for Trump. Among the critics, one user remarked, “Unfollowed and will not be back at your restaurant.” Another said, “This makes me like you a lot less now.”

"Jumping on the bandwagon, huh? I clearly remember you hinted at disliking cooking for him during a podcast," a user stated.

Supporters of Khanna countered these negative comments, urging respect for his right to offer congratulations based on past interactions. “Why so much hate? That guy is just congratulating the to-be president on the basis of his previous interactions,” wrote one user. Another enthusiastically noted, “Would love to see you cook there.”