US President Donald Trump has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “great leader” and a “very tough guy”, placing him alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping among the world leaders he most admires for their power, influence and ability to deliver results.
In an interview with Axios, Trump said Modi's long tenure and leadership style have earned him widespread respect, while also highlighting the growing business ties between India and the United States.
“I think Modi is very good. Yeah. They've had some very good numbers announced. He stays out of wars, which is smart. He's 1.5 billion people. He's actually the biggest. India's actually the biggest. And Modi's a great leader,” Trump said in response to a question on the two greatest leaders he likes the most for their power, leverage and the ability to deliver results.
Referring to trade relations, Trump said the US now conducts business with India on fairer terms than in the past.
“And we do a lot of business with them, but now we do fair business. They used to really rip us off. I don't blame them for that. You know, we had stupid politicians that allowed that to happen. But now we do a lot of business,” Trump said.
“They're not that happy about it because they used to do a lot better. So Modi's great,” Trump said.
Trump also praised Xi, describing him as a leader with significant stature and confidence.
“If you were going to make a movie about either one of them, you wouldn't be able to find the man in Hollywood,” Trump said.
Speaking further about Modi, Trump underscored the prime minister's reputation and political resilience.
“Modi in a very different way. Just highly respected. I know the real Modi is a very tough cookie. I'll tell you, I got to know some that I didn't know very well,” Trump said.
The remarks came days after Trump and Modi met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, a meeting seen as an effort to ease strains that have affected bilateral ties over the past year.
Recalling India's political landscape before Modi's rise, Trump noted the frequent changes in leadership and contrasted them with Modi's stability in office.
“Somebody would be there for six months and then a year. And then all of a sudden, Prime Minister Modi ended up; he's been there for more than 12 years, very solid. And he does it through, like, there's a great calmness, and yet he's not a calm person. He's a very tough guy,” Trump said.
The US president also named Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif among the leaders he likes.