President Trump more prepared in second term; we share bond of mutual trust: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday he shares a bond of mutual trust with US President Donald Trump and they connect well because they believe in putting their respective national interests above everything else.

In a podcast with Lex Fridman, Modi hailed Trump as a man of courage, who took his own decisions, was unwaveringly dedicated to the United States and the same spirit was on display when he was shot at by a gunman on the election campaign trail last year. The prime minister said President Trump appeared far more prepared than before in his second term. "He has a clear roadmap in his mind with well-defined steps, each one designed to lead him toward his goals," Modi said on Trump's second term as President.

The prime minister said he had the chance to meet members of Trump's team during his recent visit to the US. "I truly believe he has put together a strong, capable group. And with such a strong team, I feel they are fully capable of implementing President Trump's vision," Modi said.

He recalled his meetings with Vice President J D Vance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk.

The prime minster recalled the 'Howdy Modi' community event at the packed NRG Stadium in Houston in September 2019 and how Trump listened to his speech by sitting among the audience. "Now, that's his humility. The President of the United States sitting in the audience while I spoke from the stage, that was a remarkable gesture on his part," Modi said...The prime minister said politicians across the world get so much media coverage that people mostly perceive them through its lens.

"People rarely get the chance to truly meet or personally know one another and perhaps third-party intervention is the real cause of tensions," Modi said.