Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week.
Speaking at his first public appearance following Sunday’s apparent assassination attempt, Trump said Modi is “fantastic” but also called India a “very big abuser” as he criticized several countries for their trade policies with the U.S.
“So when India, which is a very big abuser — he happens to be coming to meet me next week, and Modi, he’s fantastic. I mean, fantastic, man,” Trump said at at town hall in Flint, Michigan. “These, a lot of these leaders are fantastic … You know the expression, they’re at the top of their game, and they use it against us. But India is very tough.”
Trump did not provide further details on the meeting. The Indian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.
As president, Trump visited India in 2020, vowing to boost trade ties between the two countries. The U.S. is currently India’s second-largest trading partner, behind China.
Modi is scheduled to visit the U.S. from Sept. 21 to 23, and will partake in the fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington, Delaware, hosted by President Joe Biden. The Indian prime minister is also slated to attend and speak before the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
This will be Modi’s first visit to the U.S. since he won a historic third term in office in June.
During Modi’s state visit to Washington in June 2023, the U.S. and India signed a slew of technology and defense deals signaling a new era of bilateral relations.
Since then, cooperation between the two countries has deepened. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of State announced it will partner with the India Semiconductor Mission and India’s electronics and IT government body to improve the global semiconductor value chain.
“The United States and India are key partners in ensuring the global semiconductor supply chain keeps pace with the global digital transformation currently underway. This collaboration between the United States and India underscores the potential to expand India’s semiconductor industry to the benefit of both nations,” the release said.
