Greeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time in five years, Donald Trump, a former US president, greeted him warmly and told him, "We missed you, we missed you a lot." When PM Modi arrived at the White House on Thursday, Trump hugged him in return and said, "It's great to see you again."
This was the first face-to-face meeting by PM Modi with Trump after being re-elected. The two men seamlessly fell back into their bond, as they picked up right where they left off.
As in a later joint press briefing, the two leaders referred back to their prolonged past together as well as other meetings. Trump appeared visibly thrilled, saying, "I am thrilled to welcome my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, back to the White House." Trump further said, "He is a special man."
Recalling his 2020 visit to India with his wife Melania, Trump praised PM Modi for his hospitality and said he was pleased to reciprocate the warm welcome. He specifically mentioned the "Namaste Trump" welcome in Ahmedabad, terming it a "tremendous" experience.
PM Modi, returning his gratitude, stated, "I offer my warmest appreciation to my friend, President Trump, for the magnificent reception and hospitality extended to me."
Their last meeting as incumbent presidents was in February 2020 when Trump visited India and was welcomed at the huge "Namaste Trump" rally in Ahmedabad, attended by over 129,000 people. They had shared the same platform earlier at the "Howdy Modi" rally in Houston in 2019 with an audience of close to 50,000 Indian Americans.
When formal talks started, Trump formally presented PM Modi to his Cabinet members and senior officials. Among them was Elon Musk, director of Department of Government Efficiency and someone whom Modi knew. Trump also requested that Modi have an audience with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
When Modi arrived at the White House, he was welcomed in the West Wing lobby, and the Indian side led by External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, and India's US Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra soon followed.Ahead of Modi’s visit, Indian flags were prominently displayed at the White House.
PM Modi greeted Trump back to the White House and stated, "I am happy to welcome you back. On behalf of 1.4 billion Indians, I extend my congratulations. The people of India have given me the opportunity to serve as Prime Minister for a third term, and in this term, I look forward eagerly to working with President Trump again for the next four years. Based on my experience of working with you during your first term, I am confident that we will further strengthen the India-US strategic partnership with the same trust, bond, and enthusiasm."
PM Modi was the first international leader to visit the United States following Trump's inauguration. He visited there merely three weeks after the new administration had come to power.
Modi and Trump have made two phone calls to each other since November 2024. EAM Jaishankar had also witnessed Trump's inauguration ceremony as the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister. Jaishankar also met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his visit and represented India at the QUAD Foreign Ministers' meeting in January 2025.
Prior to meeting Trump at the White House, PM Modi met with US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard in bilateral meetings.
PM Modi arrived in the US on Wednesday (local time) at Trump's invitation after a three-day France tour. While on a three-day visit to France, he also met US Vice President JD Vance.
Interestingly, India and the US had already begun a "strategic partnership" in 2005, and their bilateral relationship was upgraded to the level of "Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership" during the visit of Trump to India in February 2020.
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