WASHINGTON: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “total killer” during a media blitz on Wednesday as he discussed various foreign leaders in the final stretch of his election campaign.
“He’s great. He’s a friend of mine,” Trump said in a podcast hosted by comedian Andrew Schultz, which boasts millions of subscribers. He added, “On the outside, he looks like your father. He’s the nicest. Total killer.”
Trump and Modi share a warm relationship, with the former U.S. president enjoying significant support among right-wing groups in India who align with his stance against Muslims.
The two leaders have exchanged compliments in public appearances, notably during a rally in Houston in 2019, which was attended by around 50,000 Indian-Americans and dubbed “Howdy, Modi!” It was one of the largest gatherings for a foreign leader in the U.S., second only to a papal visit.
Modi reciprocated by hosting Trump at an even larger rally in Gujarat during Trump’s final year in office, drawing an estimated 100,000 supporters. Both leaders have faced accusations of discrimination against Muslims, yet Trump has remained supportive of Modi amid various controversies, including the revocation of autonomy in Muslim-majority Jammu & Kashmir.
“We had a couple of occasions where somebody was threatening India,” Trump said, recalling a conversation with Modi. He mimicked Modi’s response: “I will do it, I will do it, and I will do anything necessary.
We’ve defeated them for hundreds of years.” While Trump did not specify the country, the comment alluded to the longstanding tensions between India and Pakistan.
With just four weeks until the election, polling shows Trump in a tight race with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who has Indian heritage.