Published 08:30 IST, September 5th 2020
Donald Trump calls PM Modi a 'great leader', says he is doing very good job
US President Donald Trump once again expressed his fondness for Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he recalled grand Howdy Modi & Namaste Trump events.
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US President Donald Trump has once again expressed his fondness for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He called PM Modi a friend of his and that PM Modi is doing a great job.
"Prime Minister Modi is a friend of mine and he is doing a very good job. It's nothing easy but he is doing a very good job. You have got a great leader and you have got a great person," he said while addressing media.
Speaking of his two-day visit to India for the Namaste Trump event with First Lady Melania Trump in February this year, he said, "I also, as you know, went to India just prior to the pandemic setting in because India has been hit very hard, left really about a week before that, and we had an incredible time. What we saw the people are so incredible it's really an incredible place, an incredible country and it's definitely big," he said.
Recalling PM Modi's visit to Houston, Texas to attend the Howdy Modi event, he said, "He (PM Modi) couldn't have been more generous." He also highlighted the support he receives from Indians living in the US and asserted that Indians would be voting for him in the upcoming US Presidential election on November 3.
"We had an event in Houston, as you know. And it was a fantastic event. I was invited by Prime Minister Modi and this was a massive event. It was incredible. And the prime minister could not have been more generous. We have great support from India. We have great support from Prime Minister Modi. I think Indian people (Indian Americans) would be voting for Trump," he said.
Trump's praise for PM Modi came in response to a question posed by media on the campaign video titled "Four more years" released by the Trump Campaign during the Republican National Convention last month. Tweeted by Kimberly Guilfoyle, national chair of Trump Victory Finance Committee and retweeted by his son Donald Trump Jr, the video conceptualised by Al Mason, co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee, has short clips from the Modi-Trump joint address in Houston last year and Ahmedabad in February this year.
Media asked him whether Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump will be campaigning for the president as they are revered by the Indians.
"Would Kimberly, Don Jr, and Ivanka Trump, who are very popular among Indian Americans, would be campaigning on your behalf among the Indian Americans with your views on India-US relationship?" he was asked.
Battle for Indian votes
The Indians living in America are in significant numbers, hence, the Republicans and the Democrats have intensified their outreach to the Indian American community. Recently Democrat vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris was vocal about her Indian roots in order to gain the support of the Indian diaspora. The Indian community revere PM Modi hence Trump may enjoy a benefit of the friendship he shares with PM Modi.
As reported by PTI, a recent study by Mason in the battleground states showed that Indian Americans who traditionally vote for the Democrats are switching over to the Republican party in significant numbers because the friendship that Trump has with PM Modi and the latter's high popularity among a large section of the community. However, the Mason survey was conducted before Democratic nominee Joe Biden announced Kamala Harris as his running mate, hence there may be a slightly different picture after Harris entering the election battle.
08:28 IST, September 5th 2020