‘Howdy, Modi!’: An honour to introduce you to my family, says PM Modi to Trump in Houston

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Updated: Jul 03, 2020 01:20 IST

At Sunday’s Houston gala, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced US President Donald Trump to the Indian-American community as a very “special person” whose presence at the event indicates India has a true friend at the White House.

Addressing over 50,000 Indian-Americans at the packed NRG stadium, PM Modi said it was an honour and privilege for him to welcome Trump to the magnificent stadium. “Greetings to my fellow Indians in India and around the world. Friends, this morning, we have a very special person with us,” Prime Minister Modi said.

“He (Trump) was a household name even before he went on to hold the highest seat in the US,” Modi said while greeting the US president. “His name is familiar to every person on the planet. His name comes up in almost every conversation in the world on global politics,” he said.

Watch | Howdy Modi: Cheers, chants greet PM as he arrives for mega Houston event

“From CEO to Commander in Chief, from boardrooms to the oval office, from studios to the global stage, from politics to the economy and to security, he has left a deep and lasting impact everywhere,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi said he met President Trump a number of times and every time he has been warm, friendly, accessibly, energetic and full of wit.

“And I can say I had a chance to meet him often and every time I found the friendliness, the warmth and the energy,” he said.

“President this morning in Houston, you can hear the heartbeat of this great partnership in this celebration of the world’s two largest democracies,” Modi said.

“When I met him for the first time, Trump said India has a true friend in the White House. Your presence is a great testimony to that,” Modi said.

The prime minister said, “The people are at the heart of all relationships. From Houston to Hyderabad, from Boston to Bengaluru, from Chicago to Shimla, from Los Angeles to Ludhiana.”

Trump has already made the American economy strong again, Modi said. “He has achieved a lot for the US and for the world,” PM Modi said. “We in India have connected well to him,” he said, adding “Ab ki baar Trump Sarkar”.