Trump claims Modi acted to ‘make me happy,’ praises him as ‘a good man’

US President Trump praises Modi, warns India could face tariffs over Russian oil

US President Donald Trump claimed that India has substantially reduced its purchases of Russian oil, highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to address Washington’s concerns. Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One, Trump said Modi acted to “make me happy.”

“They wanted to make me happy. Basically, Modi is a very good man. He knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy. We do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly,” Trump said.

#WATCH | On India’s Russian oil imports, US President Donald J Trump says, "... They wanted to make me happy, basically... PM Modi's a very good man. He's a good guy. He knew I was not happy. It was important to make me happy. They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very… pic.twitter.com/OxOoj69sx3

— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2026

Must read: Trump threatens tariff hike on India if it doesn’t cooperate on Russian oil

The President also linked India’s cooperation on Russian oil to potential trade consequences, warning, “We could raise tariffs on India if they don't help on Russian Oil issue;”

Trump’s remarks come amid ongoing trade discussions between the two countries and follow earlier claims that Modi had assured him India would curb purchases of Russian oil, a claim New Delhi has denied.

Referring again to PM Modi, he added, “Modi’s a very good man. He’s a good guy. He knew I was not happy. And it was important to make me happy."

Trump explicitly cautioned about potential trade repercussions, saying, “They do trade. And we can raise tariffs on them very quickly, and it would be very bad for them."

He also commented on broader economic conditions, stating, “The Russian economy is lousy. But what’s really lousy is the Venezuelan economy. The Venezuelan economy is, I think, the worst economy I’ve ever seen."

Trump on Venezuela 

Trump did not restrict his comments to India alone. He criticised global economic conditions, saying, "The Russian economy is lousy. But what's really lousy is the Venezuelan economy. The Venezuelan economy is, I think, the worst economy I've ever seen." The comments come at a time when India is recalibrating how it reports its oil imports during sensitive negotiations with Washington.