PM Modi Concludes US Trip, Avoids Meeting with Trump and Harris

WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew back to India on Monday night after his action-packed 72-hour trip to the US. He steered clear of US internal politics and kept his distance from Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, who both want to be president in 2024.

Modi's jam-packed schedule included one-on-one talks with current President Joe Biden, a meeting of Quad leaders, a speech at the UN Summit of the Future, a gathering with the Indian community, and sit-downs with big-name CEOs. This busy lineup left him no time to meet the candidates, who were out on the campaign trail.

Nevertheless, concern grew about whether the MAGA leader might appear in New York City or at the diaspora event at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island. Trump had held a lively rally there just days before. This worry started after Trump suggested last week that Modi was coming to the US to meet him.

In reality, this was just another exaggeration from the MAGA chief, who has been bragging about how much international leaders respect and admire him. Modi's interest in a meeting might have been assumed from a few polite questions about his schedule from someone hoping to set up a meeting.

Trump has a track record of getting the wrong end of the stick or twisting talks with world leaders. Back in 2019, Imran Khan, who was Pakistan's Prime Minister at the time, claimed during a White House meeting that Modi had asked him to step in as a go-between or peacemaker in Kashmir. This forced New Delhi to put out an official statement saying it wasn't true.

The Indian Prime Minister caught Trump's attention by inviting him to a "Howdy Modi" rally in Houston in 2019. The event had an impact on Trump, with 50,000 people showing up despite the tensions—or maybe even because of them. This led Trump—who's obsessed with crowd sizes—to kick off his 2020 India tour with a "Namaste Trump" event. Modi organized it for him in Ahmedabad where 100,000 folks packed into the newly built Modi Stadium.

Trump complimented Modi before his Friday trip to the US calling him a "fantastic" leader and hinting at a possible meeting. But the Indian side was careful after getting criticism for the 2019 rally where Modi criticized Trump. His frequent use of the slogan "Ab ki baar, Trump sarkar" made some experts think he backed Trump for another term in 2020. Trump's Indian-American fans came up with this slogan seeing them both as tough decisive leaders.

Joe Biden defeated Trump in the election pushing New Delhi to build new ties with the incoming Democratic government. This administration had a vice president with partial Indian roots, whose Indian credentials face questions from India's right-wing groups. Given this experience, it appears the PM's advisors chose not to meet either presidential candidate. Everyone's schedules were so packed with engagements that they had to bow out due to "timing conflicts."

Though Indian Americans favored Democrats recent polls indicate more are backing the Republican Party. This shift stems from better financial stability and quality of life. Trump has a loud group of fans among Indian-Americans who admire Modi and see both leaders as heroes.

In reality, Trump gave a speech at a Pennsylvania rally on Monday night while Modi was heading back to New Delhi. Harris, who needs to juggle her campaign responsibilities with her job as vice president, stayed in Washington DC before she left for Pennsylvania, the key swing state.