From ‘cheering crowds’ to ‘truly incredible’, US media reports it all
WASHINGTON: After hours of breathless reporting of the first day of President Donald Trump’s whirlwind visit to India on Monday with “live updates”, US media outlets returned to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and domestic politics as did the president himself with a string of tweets after turning in for the night in New Delhi.
For most of the day though, his arrival in Ahmedabad with First Lady, Melania Trump, daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and being received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the visit to Sabarmati Ashram and the massive rally at the Motera cricket stadium were all reported as they happened.
The size of the crowd at the Motera rally, was reported widely, for the pre-visit expectations of a “million” by President Trump, and reports noted the thinning of the stands towards the later part of the event.
Some reports questioned if the visit was high on hype and optics and low on substance. Politico noted President Trump’s protectionism under America First had found a match in India. The president’s arrival in Ahmedabad was way too late for print editions of major dailies because of the time differences. But their websites, kept up the reporting, and prominently on their home page.
“Inside the stadium, cheering crowds prepare Trump,” ran a headline on a Washington Post report. And the story was updated frequently: “Trump says Namaste (Hello) India”, ‘Truly incredible’”.
The Wall Street Journal ran an article under a headline that said it upfront: “Trump Kicks Off Two-Day India Visit With Massive Rally”. Breitbart went with “Donald Trump Addresses Roaring Crowd of over 100,000 People in India at ‘Namaste Trump’ Rally”. US media also reported the president’s struggles with Hindi, local words and names “But even as he name-checked famous cricket players and Bollywood stars, Mr. Trump betrayed unfamiliarity with the country —when he stumbled over several pronunciations, including those of Ahmedabad itself, as well as Gujarat...”