Tulsi Gabbard’s visit showed depth of India-US engagement and strength of Modi-Trump bond – Firstpost

Trump is rubbing all world leaders the wrong way. His bromance with Modi, however, seems a glaring exception. There were signs aplenty of this mutual affection. Trump’s newly appointed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who was on a two-day visit to India, confirmed it further before taking a return flight to Washington on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue where she delivered an address and had a one-on-one with ORF president Samir Saran, Gabbard, to a question, replied, “what we saw with PM Modi’s early visit to Washington was a reconnection of two old friends…”, referring to the prime minister’s visit to Washington soon after Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

It was a significant visit in more ways than one, with Trump playing host to Modi before any European leader. Conducted under the cloud of Trump’s tariff threats, it signalled the herald of a more transparent relationship where immediate concerns, such as trade imbalance, would get as much play as long-term interests but the dynamic between the two dimensions will depend on the personal equation between the two leaders.

Gabbard Tuesday reinforced what Modi had hinted at during his podcast with Lex Fridman, that both leaders remained connected even when the US president was facing four years of political wilderness.

She clarified that even when Trump was not in office, he and PM Modi “continued to build upon that friendship.”

She added, “Obviously, that’s a personal friendship but it’s one that is indicative of their approach to leadership and their priorities of listening to the needs of their respective people and setting policy, and taking action towards serving their best interests.”

This is important because both Modi and Trump has similarities in the way they conduct diplomacy, placing a premium on personal bond, camaraderie and connection. Recall that Modi during the podcast had talked warmly about the way Trump had taken an impromptu lap around the stadium at his request during the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston, Texas, in 2019, and reiterated the “mutual trust” and “strong bond” that he shares with Trump. It triggered an interesting chain of developments.

The episode by American podcaster Fridman, that went viral among a global audience, was shared by the US president on his ‘Truth Social’ platform, following which Modi made his debut on the Trump-owned site and quickly gained a huge following.

The dynamic between the two world leaders may solve what appears to be an intractable problem. How do you reconcile ‘America First’ with ‘India First’? Gabbard weighed in with the answer.

“Just as President Trump is committed to America first, putting the safety, security and freedom of the American people at the forefront of his policies and his decisions, Prime Minister Modi is committed to India first… This is the expectation of any leader’s commitment to their people, to serve them, to put their interests at the forefront of their decisions. But this should not be misunderstood to mean that ‘America First’ is ‘America alone’.”

She invoked the shared values and interests that would be instrumental in synergising the foreign policies that on the surface appear hyper-focused on self-interest.

“It is our shared values that will continue to shape the future of our partnerships, and while we represent our own sovereign nations with unique perspectives and unique by working together, honestly, transparently and strategically, we can ensure a more peaceful, free, prosperous future for our people worldwide,” she said.

Worth noting that Modi had expressed a similar sentiment when confronted with the question. “Even after being shot, he (Trump) 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.”

By all indications, the Trump 2.0 administration doesn’t appear to be the ‘giant ogre’ to India as the world makes it out to be.

Gabbard, the US Director of National Intelligence, met the spy chiefs of major nations in New Delhi in a meeting chaired by India’s National Security Advisor. And later had a one-on-one with Doval. She also met the prime minister and India’s defence minister, Rajnath Singh, and said of her interactions that “It’s been a constructive few days where I’ve been engaging with our Indian counterparts, working to continue to build off of the momentum that was created by President Trump and PM Modi’s joint statement issued in Washington, DC after their Oval Office meeting.

“The partnership between our two countries has been strong for decades, and under the Leadership of great leaders and true great friends.”

Her emphasis on “true great friends” won’t be missed in India.

The writer is Deputy Executive Editor, Firstpost. He tweets as @sreemoytalukdar. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.