THE ENTIRE TRUMP KHANDAAN COMING
The entire Trump ‘khandaan’ – daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner included -will descend on India on February 24 and 25.
Ivanka has been here before, in November 2017, at the invitation of PM Modi. But this will be Donald Trump and First Lady Melania’s maiden visit.
Trump will arrive in Ahmedabad on February 24 and fly to Agra before arriving in the national capital for the main leg of the visit.
The trip to Sabarmati Ashram is no longer on the crammed itinerary of the US President, who wants to catch a glimpse of the Taj Mahal before sunset.
India has been hitting the US "very hard" on trade with high tariffs for many years, Trump complained ahead of his visit and said he will "talk business" with PM Modi. He was speaking at a 'Keep America Great' rally in Colorado on Thursday.
However, he downplayed the expectation of a trade deal with India during his visit. He was also categorical that ‘‘whether people like it or not,’’ he will be putting America first.
He boasted about the grand welcome that awaits him. "I hear, they are going to have 10 million people. They say anywhere from six to 10 million people are going to be showing up along the route to one of the largest stadiums in the world," Trump said.
He added the "Namaste Trump" rally in Ahmedabad would spoil him. "I'll never be satisfied with the crowd here, then. How can I be satisfied with a 60,000-seat stadium?’’
One of his supporters in the audience at Colorado rally suggested that he build a bigger stadium.
On the morning of February 25, Trump and Melania will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
From there, they will go to Rajghat. This will be followed by restricted delegation-level talks between the two leaders at Hyderabad House.