Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep admiration for Donald Trump, stressing the “man has courage” and “makes his own decisions”, at a time when the US President has imposed punitive tariffs on India.

Trump is a man of “graciousness and humility” and has a “US First” approach much like his own “India First” policy, the Prime Minister said in a three-hour podcast conversation with US podcaster Lex Fridman that was released on Sunday evening.

Asked about the criticism he faced over the 2002 Gujarat riots, Modi — whose government has arrested journalists and activists and faces accusations of spying on politicians and judges — claimed he welcomed criticism because “criticism was the soulof democracy”.

It was Modi’s praise of Trump, and his underlining of the similarities between them, that stood out.

Asked by Fridman what he “likes about Donald Trump as a friend and a leader”, Modi began by recalling the “Howdy Modi” event in Houston, held when he visited the US in 2019 during Trump’s first presidency.

He lauded Trump for his humility in sitting in the audience while he addressed the Indian diaspora at the event.

“Now, that’s his humility. The President of the United States sitting in the audience, while I spoke from the stage, was a remarkable gesture on his part,” Modi said.

He spoke of how Trump had agreed, on his request, to walk into the crowd after Modi’s speech, saying the experience was “touching”.

“Without even a moment’s hesitation, he agreed and started walking with me. His entire security detail was thrown off guard,” Modi said.

“For me, that moment was truly touching, it showed me that this man had courage. He makes his own decisions but, also, he trusted me and my lead in that moment enough to have walked with me into the crowd. It was that sense of mutual trust, a strong bond between us, that I truly witnessed on that day.”

Modi had reciprocated with a “Namaste Trump” event in Ahmedabad for the visiting US President in February 2020.

Narendra Modi and Donald Trump at the White House on February 13. Reuters

Trump has declared reciprocal tariffs from April 2 on countries such as India while terming their steep duties on American products as“very unfair”.

Indications that the Modi government doesn’t mind, or is wary of displeasing the US President, came recently when foreign minister S. Jaishankar said Trump’s move “towards multi-polarity… is something that suits India”.

In the podcast, Modi praised Trump’s “resilient” response to being shot at while campaigning for the presidential election last year. Trump suffered an ear injury but a member of the audience was killed.

“When he was shot during the recent campaign, I saw the same resilient and determined President Trump, the one who walked hand-in-hand with me in that stadium,” Modi said.

“Even after being shot, he remained unwaveringly dedicated to America. His life was for his nation. His (reaction) showed his ‘America First’ spirit, just as I believe in ‘nation first’. I stand for ‘India First’ and that’s why we connect so well.”

Modi said he had struck a deep bond with Trump during his first term as President and though they didn’t meet during the Joe Biden years, their “direct and indirect communication” and “closeness and the trust” had remained unshaken.

When Fridman referred to Trump’s recent comment that Modi was a “much tougher, much better negotiator than he is”, the Prime Minister played it down.

(Trump has, however, asserted that by “finally exposing” India’s “massive tariffs”, he has pressured New Delhi into cutting down levies on American goods – prompting the Opposition to accuse Modi of weakening India.)

“What do you think of him (Trump) as a negotiator and what do you think he meant about you being a great negotiator?” Fridman asked.

“Now, that’s not something I can comment on. Since it’s his graciousness and humility, it is very kind of him that he openly appreciates me on various occasions and in different contexts,” Modi replied.

“But about negotiation, I always put my country’s interests first. That’s why in every forum, I speak up for India’s interest, not to harm anyone but in a positive manner and because of that, no one takes offence.”

Asked about his recent meetings with Trump and his team members, Modi again extolled the President.

“This time, he (Trump) seems far more prepared than before. He has a clear roadmap in his mind with well-defined steps, each one designed to lead him towards his goals,” Modi said, stressing that Trump had a “strong, capable group” to help him implement his vision.

Criticism, ‘good’ & ‘bad’

While claiming he welcomed criticism, Modi drew a distinction between “genuine criticism” and mere “allegations”, claiming genuine criticism that was “sharp, and well informed” was hard to find.

“I have a strong belief that criticism is the soul of democracy. If democracy truly runs in your veins, you must embrace it,” the Prime Minister, whose government is accused of jailing critics indefinitely on questionable terror charges, said.

“Critics should be your nearest companions because through genuine criticism, you can improve quickly and work democratically with better insights.”

Obliquely censuring his critics, he said: “Genuine criticism requires thorough study…. Today, people look for shortcuts, avoid proper research.… Instead of identifying genuine weaknesses, they jump straight to accusations.”

Fridman did Modi’s reputation for speaking only to friendly interviewers no harm. He started off by claiming he had been fasting for 45 hours to get into the “right mindset” and the “spiritual level” required for the conversation with the Prime Minister.

“So, I should also say I’m fasting right now. It’s been almost two days, 45 hours, so just water, no food in honour of this conversation, just to get in the right mindset, get into the spiritual level,” he said as Modi laughed heartily.

The long podcast gave Modi ample opportunity to talk, again, about how he spent his childhood in poverty and left home to wander in the Himalayas.

Fridman, a computer scientist, termed his conversation with Modi “one of the most moving & powerful conversations and experiences of my life”.

The Prime Minister spoke in Hindi throughout but the podcaster later provided an English translation.