Modi ‘tough cookie’, ‘great leader’ who has been in power for over 12 years, says Trump
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- Donald Trump called PM Modi a 'great leader' and 'very tough cookie' in an Axios interview, noting Modi has been in power for over 12 years with 'a great calmness' and '1.5 billion people' behind him.
- Trump named Modi and China's Xi Jinping as the two greatest leaders he likes most 'in terms of power and leverage, and the ability to execute on that,' saying a movie about either couldn't find a Hollywood actor worthy of the role.
- Trump said the U.S. and India now do 'a lot of business' and 'fair business,' but claimed India 'used to really rip us off' — adding that 'they're not that happy about it because they used to do a lot better.'
- Trump praised Modi for staying 'out of wars, which is smart,' contrasting that with the leaders he said typically rotate in and out of India every six months to a year.
- Trump and Modi met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France on June 17, 2026, in what The Hindu described as an attempt to repair a U.S.–India relationship 'under strain over the past year.'
- Trump also listed Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir and PM Shehbaz Sharif as leaders he liked, placing them in the same breath as his praise for Modi.
Why it matters: The public flattery lands at a moment when U.S.–India ties needed deliberate repair — Trump himself framed the June 17 G7 sidelines meeting as a reset after a year of strain. By bundling Modi with Xi and Pakistan's top leaders as figures he admires, Trump signaled personal warmth that could ease trade friction, even as he reminded audiences that he considers India a former 'rip-off' partner now paying fairer prices.
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