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Praising US President Donald Trump for his “thoughtful gesture” during the ‘Howdy Modi’ event, where the former attentively listened to the entire speech and joined him in taking a lap around the stadium to greet the audience despite security protocols, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his appreciation for the trust Trump has in him.
Speaking on the podcast with renowned scientist Lex Fridman about the good relations he shares with the US president, PM Modi said Trump’s America First approach aligns with his own philosophy of Nation First (Bharat First), which in turn fosters a “natural synergy” between the two leaders.
“For Trump, it is America first, and for Modi, it is always Bharat first”, he said, adding that on all platforms, he stands firm, keeping India’s interests on top, without intending any harm to others. In doing so, he is “just fulfilling the expectation of 140 crore Indians who have bestowed this responsibility upon him”, the prime minister told Fridman.
Reacting to the Republican president calling him a “tough negotiator”, PM Modi said it was magnanimous of Trump to appreciate him on various platforms.
Recalling his meeting with Trump’s dynamic team, PM Modi noted that Trump appears highly focussed in his current term and has built a strong team, with whom he also had the opportunity to meet.
Furthermore, PM Modi also reflected on his “long association” with the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, which he recalled has been in place since the former’s tenure as a chief minister, PM Modi described their recent meeting as “warm and familial”, which saw the duo discussing Musk’s excitement about the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative of President Trump “to streamline government, eliminate waste, and upgrade our critical infrastructure.”
Highlighting how the DOGE philosophy is already integrated into governance under his leadership, PM Modi said that after taking office, his government identified and removed 10 crore fake beneficiaries from welfare schemes, ensuring benefits reached the right people through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), saving Rs three lakh crore.
Additionally, the Centre also scrapped 1,500 obsolete laws and more than 45,000 compliance regulations to streamline governance, he said.
