Donald Trump joked about playing 'matchmaker' for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, say reports

US president Donald Trump allegedly joked about playing “matchmaker” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi after learning that the Indian leader is estranged from his wife, Politico reported  quoting unnamed White House officials. The “diplomatic faux pas” came ahead of Trump’s meeting with Modi at the White House last year.

After Trump’s staffers told him that Modi would be travelling alone to the meeting, he allegedly joked, “Ah, I think I can set him up with somebody”,  according to a report by News18 _._ 

The report also said that Trump displayed a lack of familiarity with countries surrounding India and mispronounced their names. While studying a map of South Asia to prepare for the meeting, he reportedly called Nepal “nipple” and Bhutan “button”.

Two unnamed sources said Trump did not even know these nations existed. “He didn’t know what those were. He thought it was all part of India. He was like, ‘What is this stuff in between and these other countries?’” a source told Politico.

NDTV reported that the White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told Politico that Trump has developed “strong relationships” with “America’s closest allies,” which allow for “candid conversations.”

This is not the only joke Trump has made on Modi’s expense. According to a report from The Washington Post , senior administration officials said that Trump has been known to imitate an Indian accent and imitate Modi.

Modi has invited Trump to be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day military parade on 26 January 2019, but there is no word yet whether the US president will accept.