Last Updated:March 17, 2025, 07:00 IST

PM Narendra Modi said even after there was assassination bid on US President Donald Trump while campaigning during the presidential elections, he showed no fear and “remained unwaveringly dedicated to America”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an interview with US-based podcaster and AI researcher Lex Fridman said the reason why he and US President Donald Trump connected so well is because they both put their countries first.

Modi said even after there was assassination bid on him during the campaigning for the presidential elections, he showed no fear and “remained unwaveringly dedicated to America”.

“His life was for his nation. His reflection showed his America First spirit, just as I believe in nation first. I stand for India first and that’s why we connect so well. These are the things that truly resonate,” he said in his second podcast that ran for more than three hours.

During the podcast, he further talked about his camaraderie with Trump, who recently won a second term by defeating Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Fridman further asked him about what he likes about Trump as a leader and friend, while also on the President’s comment that Modi was a “much tougher, much better negotiator”.

The Prime Minister recalled how the President had walked with him into a crowd of thousands without even asking for security at the ‘Howdy Modi’ event. He said it was a “truly touching” moment for him that he reflected a sense of mutual trust between them.

“In American life, it’s almost impossible for the President to walk into a crowd of thousands, but without even a moment’s hesitation, he (Trump) agreed and started walking with me. His entire security detail was thrown off guard, but for me that moment was truly touching,” he said.

He added: “It showed me that this man had courage. He makes his own decisions, but also he trusted me and my lead in that moment enough to have walked with me into the crowd. It was that sense of mutual trust, a strong bond between us that I truly witnessed on that day and the way I saw President Trump that day walking into a crowd of thousands without even asking security, it was truly amazing. And if you watch the video now, you’ll be amazed.”

ON HIS FIRST TRIP TO THE WHITE HOUSE

Modi said when Trump was still new to White House in his first term, a lot had already been written about him in the media and everyone had a rather different perception of him. He said even he had been briefed in numerous ways before meeting him, but his reception was a pleasant surprise.

“…the very moment I stepped into the White House, he broke all formal protocols right away. And then, he personally took me on a tour of the White House. As he showed me around, I noticed something striking, he wasn’t holding any notes or cue cards, nor was anyone accompanying him to assist. He pointed things out himself. ‘This is where Abraham Lincoln lived’, he said. He even explained why the courtroom was designed so long. He would point at the table and tell me which President signed here and on what date. I found that incredibly impressive,” he said, adding that he showed how respectful and “deeply connected he was to America’s history”.

He further said “our closeness and the trust between us remained unshaken” even after Joe Biden came to power. But, Trump always referred to him as a friend, even in front of others, he added.

“Later, when his first term ended, and President Biden won, four years passed, but during that time whenever someone we both knew met him, and this must have happened dozens of times, he would say, “Modi is my friend, convey my regards.” That kind of gesture is rare. Even though we didn’t meet physically for years, our direct and indirect communication, our closeness and the trust between us remained unshaken,” he added.