U.S. President Donald Trump publicly praises Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as “a very tough cookie” and one of the world leaders he most admires. Multiple outlets report that Trump made the remarks in an interview with Axios, placing Modi in the same category of admired leaders as China’s Xi Jinping. Sources also say Trump attributes his positive view to a close personal rapport with Modi, despite ongoing friction in areas such as trade.
The praise follows Trump’s recent participation in a G7 meeting, where he highlighted the strength of the India-U.S. relationship. Reporting from the same set of sources indicates Trump points to Modi’s negotiating abilities and suggests progress on potential trade cooperation. Overall, the coverage focuses on Trump’s language of admiration for Modi and the character-based framing of Modi’s negotiating style, while noting that the comments come amid continuing trade disputes between the two countries. None of the articles indicate the remarks include formal new trade deal terms or specific policy commitments.
