In a post on X, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said she was excited about deepening links between the U.S. and India.
“It was an honor to welcome India’s Prime Minister @narendramodi back to the United States, and look forward to continuing to strengthen the US-India friendship,” she stated on Friday.
Prime Minister Modi's remark regarding their recent meeting on Wednesday prompted her post.
“Met USA’s Director of National Intelligence, @TulsiGabbard in Washington DC. Congratulated her on her confirmation. Discussed various aspects of the India-USA friendship, of which she’s always been a strong votary,” Modi had shared.
During the Prime Minister's recent trips to the United States, Gabbard was the first well-known guest to meet with him. Shortly after his arrival on Wednesday evening, she paid him a visit at Blair House, the official residence of the U.S. government where Modi stayed. After her confirmation earlier in the day, she was sworn in mere hours before this meeting.
Gabbard, who was just named head of U.S. intelligence, has a long history with India. She developed a strong bond with Prime Minister Modi while serving as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives and co-chairing the India Caucus.
They had been associated since 2015, when Modi even used an envoy to send gifts for her wedding in Hawaii.
It's interesting to note that two past co-chairs of the India Caucus now have important positions in the Trump administration. The second is National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who co-chaired the caucus with Democrat Ro Khanna while serving as a Republican lawmaker.
Waltz paid Modi a visit on Thursday morning, becoming the second prominent person to see him. Elon Musk, the millionaire businessman who owns SpaceX and Tesla, also visited later that day with his family.
Among them was his five-year-old son, X, who is frequently spotted sitting on his father's shoulder in a variety of places, from the Oval Office to the hallways of the US Capitol. Another notable visitor to Blair House to meet the Prime Minister was businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.
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