Trump plays warmup act at massive Modi rally
HOUSTON— The foreign strategy of soothing tensions with the United States by stroking President Donald Trump’s ego was put into vivid effect Sunday when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lathered praise on his American counterpart at a massive rally celebrating the Indian diaspora.
The leaders of the world’s two largest democracies took the stage together in Houston before a roaring crowd of tens of thousands of Indian Americans, where Modi delivered an unmistakable endorsement of Trump’s presidency and cast their joint appearance in historic terms.
“His name is familiar to every person on the planet,” Modi said as he introduced Trump. “He was a household name and very popular even before he went on to occupy the highest office in this great country. From CEO to commander in chief. From boardrooms to the Oval Office. From studios to global stage.”
The prime minister then repurposed his own campaign slogan in India to rally support for “my friend” Trump in the United States: “Abki baar, Trump sarkar,” meaning, “This time, a Trump country.”
Modi’s overtures come at a delicate moment in U.s.india relations. After the United States imposed tariffs on Indian steel and aluminum imports, India has been looking for ways to decrease trade tensions with the Trump administration and stimulate fresh investment.
The two leaders— both center-right politicians who govern with big personalities and stir controversy— are set to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.
Trump swooped into Houston on Sunday with an unusual role: as a warmup act.
Called “Howdy, Modi!” the event was staged to honor the prime minister and was billed as the largest gathering for an invited foreign leader other than the pope. Attendees, many of them from Texas’s large Indian diaspora, packed into NRG Stadium, the 72,000-seat home to the NFL’S Houston Texans. Houston is the nation’s most diverse city and home to an estimated 150,000 Indian Americans.
Modi recently invited Trump to join him here, and the president agreed to be a special guest, but the signage and stagecraft made clear that Modi was the main attraction, with his image projected on large screens throughout the arena.
“In Houston, we say ‘Howdy’ in more than 140 languages— and this morning we are saying ‘Howdy’ to Prime Minister Modi,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a Democrat, told the crowd.
Trump highlighted his stewardship of the economy but drew far most impassioned responses from the crowd when he talked about other issues. The president received a standing ovation when he denounced “radical Islamic terrorism” and sustained applause when he vowed to stop illegal immigration.