Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his three-day trip to Delaware and New York without meeting former President Donald Trump, contradicting claims made by the Republican nominee. The upcoming U.S. presidential elections are scheduled for November 5. To maintain bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress and avoid any potential controversy, New Delhi opted against arranging a meeting between Modi and any of the presidential candidates.
During his visit, Modi engaged in a bilateral discussion with outgoing President Joe Biden, who hosted him at his home in Greenville, Delaware. Modi and Biden also participated in the 4th Quad summit alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. After this, Modi traveled to New York, where he addressed an Indian American conclave and spoke at the United Nations Summit of the Future. He also held several bilateral meetings with other world leaders before returning to New Delhi.
However, he did not meet with either Trump or his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate in the U.S. elections.
Trump had claimed on September 17 that Modi would be meeting him during the visit, stating that India was a very big abuser in its trade relations with the U.S. He criticized India for imposing high tariffs on American imports and suggested that he would respond with reciprocal tariffs on exports from India, Brazil, and China. At a campaign event in Flint, Michigan, Trump remarked, He (Modi) happens to be coming to meet me next week, and Modi, he’s fantastic. I mean, fantastic man.
Despite Trump’s assertions, New Delhi never confirmed a meeting between Modi and the former president before the visit. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who briefed the media on September 19 and September 21, did not rule out the possibility of such a meeting but cited time constraints.
Had Modi met only Trump without also engaging with Harris, it could have been perceived by Democrats as a sign of bias toward the Republican candidate. Trump’s campaign team could have leveraged a meeting with Modi to appeal to Indian American voters, who have historically leaned toward the Democratic Party, according to sources.
