Hours after President Trump paved the way for upgrading the United States trade relationship with India with wide “reciprocal” invoices, he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a united front during a press conference on Thursday at the White House.
Mr Modi became the last leader of the state to seek to determine an increasingly authorized Mr Trump trying to host his demands-even when Mr Trump’s promising prices were hanging at the White House meeting. Mr Modi broke the praise to Mr Trump, using his slogan “Make America Great Again” in English, despite the fact that he was mostly speaking through a translator and applying the slogan to India. “Make India great again”, Mr. Modi Crowed.
The warm greetings were also expanded to Elon Musk, Trump’s constant companion unfolding through the federal government as the head of an initiative to reform and reduce the federal government: the two had a meeting and a photo. Mr Musk, the richest man in the world, holds several companies, including Starlink, a high -speed internet service who tried to make an entry into India.
All flattery revealed a series of tensions between the two nations, including two of Mr Trump’s signature issues, trade and immigration. Mr Trump hinted at the largest thorn when he said at a press conference that the United States had a commercial deficit of about $ 100 billion with India, although the number was inflated – in 2024, the number was nearly $ 50 billion.
Just a few hours earlier, Mr Trump had made it easier for his advisers to design new levels of duties for countries around the world taking into account a series of trade barriers and other economic approaches adopted by America’s trade partners. India is among the nations that could face particularly significant implications for invoices.
At a press conference, Mr Trump said he had played with this idea during his first term and noted that he could not take India to reduce invoices against the United States then. Now, “we will just say,” Whatever you charge, we charge, “Trump said.
“I think it’s fair for people in the United States,” Trump said. “And I think it’s really fair for India.”
Despite the forthcoming financial punishment, Mr Modi opened his observations by saying that he focused on doubling bilateral trade at $ 500 billion by 2030 and “soon completing a mutual trade agreement” with the United States.
Mr Modi also said that India and the United States will create a framework for defense cooperation for the next decade and added that the two countries would also work together to develop semiconductor, quantum technology and artificial intelligence.
Even on an issue that has outraged some of his voters in India, Mr Modi tried to determine Mr Trump. At one point, Mr Modi was asked about an American military plane full of India immigrants sent by the United States to the Indian state of Punjab last week.
The video published by a leading US border employee showed migrants in bonds and caused rage in India.
Mr Modi made no recognition of that. “We are of the opinion that anyone who enters another country has absolutely no right to be in this country,” he said.
Earlier in the afternoon, Mr Trump met with Mr Modi in the Oval Office, who participated in some of the secretaries of the President’s cabinet. The two leaders sat in chairs, condemning questions from journalists.
Mr Modi and Mr Trump have enjoyed a generally friendly relationship. Mr Modi welcomed Mr Trump with a huge rally during a presidential visit to India during Mr Trump’s first term.
Prior to Mr Trump and Mr Modi, the Prime Minister of India sat with Mr Musk.
Mr Modi shared photos on Mr Musk’s social media website, X, who underlined Mr Musk’s power within Trump’s administration: The billionaire sat in front of an American flag next to the prime minister and the Indian flag, its species Location was usually hit by a state leader and that Mr Trump himself has taken over in recent weeks. Mr Musk was accompanied by Shivon Zilis, who is a long -term advisor and the mother to some of his children, as well as three of his children, who seemed to exchange gifts with Mr Modi.
At the press conference, Mr Modi said he had met Mr Musk for some time.
It was Mr Trump’s fourth visit from a foreign leader to rapid succession in recent weeks, as he approaches foreign policy with an expansive mind and a steady desire to push other countries to return the United States for his military spending. He had already met the leaders of Israel, Japan and Jordan.
Theodore Schleifer They contributed reports.
