Trump calls Modi a tough guy, ranks him among leaders he admires most

Washington,UPDATED: Jun 20, 2026 01:06 IST

US President Donald Trump praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an interview with Axios, calling him a "great leader" and a "tough guy". Trump said Modi was among the two leaders he liked the most for their power, leverage and ability to get things done, alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump also spoke about US business ties with India, saying the two countries now do "fair business" even though India had earlier "used to really rip us off". His remarks came after he met Modi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France on Wednesday, as the relationship between the two countries has been under strain over the past year.

Asked about the two greatest leaders he liked the most in terms of power, leverage and the ability to execute, Trump said: "I think Modi is very good. Yeah. They've had some very good numbers announced. He stays out of wars, which is smart. He's 1.5 billion people. He's actually the biggest. India's actually the biggest. And Modi's a great leader."

On trade, Trump said the US did a lot of business with India and that the terms had changed. "And we do a lot of business with them, but now we do fair business. They used to really rip us off. I don't blame them for that. You know, we had stupid politicians that allowed that to happen. But now we do a lot of business," he said. He added: "They're not that happy about it because they used to do a lot better. So Modi's great."

Trump also praised Xi, describing him as a leader of "great stature and confidence". Referring to Xi and Modi, he said: "If you were going to make a movie about either one of them, you wouldn't be able to find the man in Hollywood."

Speaking further about Modi, Trump said: "Modi in a very different way. Just highly respected. I know the real Modi is a very tough cookie. I'll tell you, I got to know some that I didn't know very well."

He said he had watched India over the years and seen leaders change often before Modi's long stint in office. "Somebody would be there for six months and then a year. And then all of a sudden, Prime Minister Modi ended up, he's been there for more than 12 years, very solid. And he does it through, like, there's a great calmness, and yet he's not a calm person. He's a very tough guy," Trump said.

Trump then listed Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as leaders whom he liked. Overall, the interview saw Trump praise Modi's leadership and toughness, speak positively about current US business with India, and place him alongside Xi among leaders he sees as having strong authority and the ability to act.

With PTI Inputs

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