 "'He's great, He's a friend of mine': Trump lauds PM Modi as 'total killer'")
During a media blitz on Wednesday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “total killer” while discussing foreign leaders in the final stretch of his election campaign.
“He’s great. He’s a friend of mine,” AFP quoted Trump as telling a podcast with millions of subscribers hosted by stand-up comedian Andrew Schultz.
“On the outside he looks like he’s your father. He’s the nicest. Total killer,” he added.
Trump and Prime Minister Modi share a warm relationship, with the former US president enjoying significant support in India.
The two leaders praised each other during a joint appearance at a stadium in Houston in 2019, highlighting their close personal alliance before an audience of tens of thousands of Indian-Americans.
The event, dubbed “Howdy, Modi!” and attended by around 50,000 people, was described as the largest gathering for a foreign leader in the US, aside from the Pope.
PM Modi later hosted Trump at an even larger rally in Gujarat during Trump’s final year in office, drawing an estimated 100,000 supporters.
Despite facing accusations of discrimination against Muslims, both leaders have supported each other through various controversies, including the revocation of autonomy in Muslim-majority Kashmir.
“We had a couple of occasions where somebody was threatening India,” AFP quoted Trump as saying to Schultz.
“I said, ‘Let me help. I’m very good with those people. Let me help,” he added.
Apparently mimicking PM Modi’s reply, Trump then said: “I will do it, I will do it, and I will do anything necessary. We’ve defeated them for hundreds of years.”
“He was talking about a certain country. You can probably guess,” said Trump.
He did not name the nation, although India and Pakistan have fought three major wars and countless border conflicts since they were partitioned out of the Indian subcontinent in 1947.
Polling for the US election shows the Republican billionaire neck and neck with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of Indian heritage, with just four weeks left before Americans pick their next leader.
With inputs from agencies
 "‘A big loss to every Indian’: Mukesh Ambani’s emotional farewell to Ratan Tata")
 "Explained: How US states vote differently in the presidential elections")
 "Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida as category 3 storm, Tampa Bay under flash flood emergency")
 "'Visionary business leader, extraordinary human': Heartfelt tributes pour in for Ratan Tata")
 "‘A big loss to every Indian’: Mukesh Ambani’s emotional farewell to Ratan Tata")
 "Explained: How US states vote differently in the presidential elections")
 "Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida as category 3 storm, Tampa Bay under flash flood emergency")
 "'Visionary business leader, extraordinary human': Heartfelt tributes pour in for Ratan Tata")
 "Kamala Harris Leads in Pennsylvania, Tied With Donald Trump Nationally: Polls")
