Why India has soured on Trump ahead of US midterms
Seven years after Modi backed Trump, New Delhi may now hope US midterm losses leave the president chastened.
New Delhi, India — Standing next to United States President Donald Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered praise after praise.
“Every time [we meet], he has been the same: warm, friendly, accessible, energetic, and full of wit,” he said of Trump, as they addressed a joint rally in a Houston, Texas, stadium packed with more than 50,000 Indian Americans.
That was in 2019, ahead of the 2020 US presidential vote, when Trump was facing a major electoral test – seeking re-election to a second term. Modi was, in effect, galvanising support for him among the Indian-American community, the wealthiest diaspora in the US.
Since Trump returned to office in 2025, the US-India relationship has been beset by a seemingly never-ending series of crises.