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PM Modi met Trump in the White House last month, during which Trump imposed reciprocal tariffs and criticised India’s high tariffs. However, the meetings between the two leaders went well.
US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Modi in the White House. (Reuters Image)
US President Donald Trump on Friday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “very smart friend” and his “close friend”, expressing hope that the ongoing tariff talks with India will work out “very well”.
“Prime Minister Modi was here just recently, and we’ve always been very good friends. India is one of the highest-tariffing nations in the world,” he told reporters in the White House.
Trump further said Indians were “very smart” and heaped praise for Modi. “He (PM Modi) is a very smart man and a great friend of mine. We had very good talks. I think it’s going to work out very well between India and our country,” he added.
#WATCH | Washington, US: On India-US tariff talks, US President Donald Trump says, “Prime Minister Modi was here just recently, and we’ve always been very good friends. India is one of the highest tariffing nations in the world… They’re very smart. He (PM Modi) is a very smart… pic.twitter.com/7O4adE7F9f– years (@ani) March 28, 2025
“I want to say, you have a great Prime Minister,” he further said.
Trump met Prime Minister Modi in the White House in February after the latter received a warm welcome in the United States. Their camaraderie and friendship was on stark display as they held productive talks, with Trump calling Modi “a special man” and a “tough negotiator”.
At the same time, Trump promised reciprocal duties on both US allies and competitors from April 2 as the US President has been extremely vocal on his criticism of high tariffs charged by India, which heightened concerns over the future of India-US trade. However, Trump has also said that India alone is not responsible.
Both countries have started talks towards clinching an early trade deal and resolving their standoff on tariffs as the April 2 deadline approaches. India has offered tariff cuts on imports worth $23 billion in the first phase of the deal, along with concessions on US farm products like almonds and cranberries, according to Reuters.
PM Modi’s Praise For Trump
During a three-hour-long podcast with AI researcher and podcaster Lex Fridman recently, PM Modi praised Trump and said that he and the US President connect well as both leaders work on a “Nation First” agenda. Trump later shared the podcast on his Truth Social platform as a show of endorsement of the Indian leader.
When asked about what he liked about Trump, PM Modi recalled the Howdy Modi event, in which he asked the President to take a lap around the stadium and the Republican leader agreed to do so without giving a second thought about security.
“His life was for his nation. His reflection showed his America First spirit, just as I believe in Nation First. I stand for India first and that’s why we connect so well. These are the things that truly resonate,” he said.
The Prime Minister said his closeness and trust with Trump “remained unshaken” even after Joe Biden came to power. Trump always referred to him as a friend, even in front of others, he added. “Whenever someone we both knew met him, and this must have happened dozens of times, he would say, ‘Modi is my friend, convey my regards.’ That kind of gesture is rare.”
- Location :
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
