US President Donald Trump lavished praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an interview with The Axios Show, calling him a 'great leader' and pointing to India's size and strategic position. According to reports from The Axios Show, Trump responded to a question about the two greatest leaders he likes the most in terms of power, leverage and ability to execute, naming China's President Xi Jinping alongside Modi. Trump stated that Modi has been in power for more than 12 years and demonstrated 'great calmness' while maintaining a 'very tough guy' persona. Speaking further about Modi, Trump said: 'Modi in a very different way. Just highly respected. I know the real Modi is a very tough cookie. I'll tell you, I got to know some that I didn't know very well.' He noted that he had watched India over the years and seen governments come and go before Modi emerged as a long-serving leader, stating: 'All my life I've watched India. They just kept changing, changing, changing. Somebody would be there for six months and then a year and then all of a sudden, Prime Minister Modi ends up there. He has been there for more than 12 years, very solid.'
Trump highlighted significant improvements in India-US trade relations, stating that the countries now conduct 'fair business' after years of imbalanced trade. As reported by The Axios Show, Trump noted that India used to 'rip us off' but now the relationship has evolved positively. He acknowledged that 'they're not that happy about it because they used to do a lot better' but emphasized that Modi's leadership has been instrumental in this transformation. Trump stated that 'they used to really rip us off. I don't blame them for that. You know, we had stupid politicians that allowed that to happen. But now we do a lot of business.' He added that 'they're not that happy about it because they used to do a lot better. So Modi's great.'
Trump praised Prime Minister Modi's foreign policy, particularly highlighting his 'smart' approach to avoiding conflicts. According to The Axios Show, Trump said: 'Modi stays out of wars, which is smart,' given India's position as the 'biggest' country with 1.5 billion people. He noted that Modi combines firmness with a measured style of leadership, stating: 'He does it through, like, there's a great calmness, and yet he's not a calm person. He's a very tough guy. I know him very well.' Trump emphasized that Modi's leadership has brought 'stability to India after years of political changes' and described him as someone who has 'brought stability to India after years of political changes'.
Trump and Modi met on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit in France on Wednesday in an attempt to repair the relationship between the two countries which has been under strain over the past year. As reported by The Axios Show, Trump described both Modi and Xi as exceptional political figures, stating: 'President Xi is great. Classics, you know. I mean, if you were gonna make a movie about either one of them, you wouldn't be able to find them in Hollywood.' While praising Xi's stature and confidence, Trump said Modi commanded respect in a different manner, noting that 'Modi in a very different way, just highly respected' and emphasizing that he has 'seen, you know, I know the real Modi is a very tough cookie.'
