India greets Trump with ‘stunning display’
President, Modi attempt to soothe trade tensions
AHMEDABAD, India – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered on his promised spectacle to welcome U.S. President Donald Trump, who kicked off his 36-hour trip to India on Monday with a colorful road tour that culminated in a rally that drew tens of thousands to the world’s largest cricket stadium.
The stadium in Ahmedabad, the largest city in Modi’s home state of Gujarat, was nearly at capacity as the president touched down Monday morning. Outside the airport, dancers clad in vibrantcolored clothing performed as the president’s motorcade made its way to Sabarmati Ashram, one of Mohandas K. Gandhi’s residences that hosts a museum.
More than 100,000 people poured into the brand new stadium for “Namaste Trump,” an event designed to reciprocate last fall’s Texas “Howdy Modi” rally that drew 50,000 Indian Americans to greet the prime minister. The president and first lady Melania Trump were to be feted in a whirlwind, two-day diplomatic display aimed at highlighting U.S.-Indian relations despite escalating trade frictions.
Trump praised Modi for the “stunning display of India’s culture and kindness,” noting that he traveled 8,000 miles with the first lady to deliver a message to the people of India.
“America loves India, America respects India and America will always be faithful and loyal to the Indian people,” he said as the crowd erupted in cheers.
In the stadium, a sea of white hats emblazoned with the U.S. and Indian flags and the Namaste Trump logo replaced the red ballcaps typically seen at Trump rallies. Signs highlighting friendship ringed the stadium: “One momentous occasion. Two dynamic leaders,” one read.
Rishi Sharma, 20, a university student, said she follows Trump on Twitter, but to see him speak in person was a “great honor.”
“People over here think that he’s really powerful,” Sharma said.
The president and first lady flew to Agra for a sunset tour of the Taj Mahal, the white marble mausoleum built in the 17th century by an emperor as a shrine of eternal love for his favorite wife.
“It’s incredible, truly incredible,” said the president, who named an Atlantic City hotel and casino after the mausoleum.
Melania Trump added, “Lovely, beautiful.”
The president used most of his welcome rally not to boast about his own economic record but to tout Modi’s. He praised his Indian counterpart as an “exceptional leader.” Modi’s rise from a chaiwalla, or tea seller, to the leader of the country “underscores the limitless promise of this nation,” Trump said.
The U.S. has sought to strengthen strategic ties with India as it looks to counter China’s rise, and Trump’s trip is the latest signal in a greater strategic convergence, according to Milan Vaishnav, the head of the South Asia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“Despite all the differences, the ratcheting up of diplomatic and military attention to strategies that could counter Chinese expansionism is something that’s been pretty consistent,” he said.
The trip came amid a tit-for-tat trade dispute between India and the U.S.
The U.S. wants more access to Indian markets for agricultural products and medical devices while India aims to restore its preferential status in a trade program for developing countries.
Trump said he planned to continue trade discussions with Modi during his visit, calling the prime minister a “tough” negotiator.
Trump confirmed an arms deal worth more than $3.5 billion for six Apache helicopters and 24 anti-submarine helicopters. He declared he wants the U.S. to be “India’s premier defense partner.”
Modi promised Trump grandeur and adulation that the president boasted about.
“We’re not treated very well by India, but I happen to like Prime Minister Modi a lot,” Trump said last week when asked whether a trade deal might emerge. “And he told me we’ll have 7 million people between the airport and the event.”