Washington, DC: In a vibrant celebration of Diwali at the White House, US President Donald Trump lit traditional lamps on Tuesday while revealing details of a recent phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The leaders’ discussion, timed with the Hindu festival of lights, covered expanding trade ties and the delicate security dynamics involving Pakistan, underscoring the strengthening bilateral relationship amid global tensions.
Trump shared his greetings to India’s people during the event, highlighting the productive exchange. “Let me extend our warmest wishes to the people of India. I just spoke to your Prime Minister today. Had a great conversation. We talked about trade… He’s very interested in that. Although we did talk a little while ago about let’s have no wars with Pakistan. The fact that trade was involved, I was able to talk about that. And we have no war with Pakistan and India. That was a very, very good thing. He’s a great person, and he’s become a great friend of mine over the years,” Trump stated, emphasizing the absence of conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors as a positive outcome.
The remarks come against the backdrop of ongoing economic frictions. Trump recently enacted a 25% tariff on Indian goods in response to New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, elevating the cumulative US import duties on India to 50% this year. Despite these measures, negotiations on trade between the two countries continue, reflecting efforts to balance security and commerce.
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Broadening his comments to international trade pressures, Trump addressed escalating tariffs on China, set to reach approximately 155% by November 1. “Right now, as of November 1st, China will have about 155% tariffs put on it. I don’t think it’s sustainable for them. I want to be nice to China. But China has been very rough with us over the years because we had presidents that weren’t smart from a business standpoint,” he remarked, attributing past imbalances to inadequate leadership.
Trump also touched on broader diplomatic achievements, particularly in the Middle East. “We are forging peace all over the world… We’re getting everybody to get along. I just got a call from the Middle East. We’re doing very well there. We have many countries signed on to peace in the Middle East, and nobody thought they’d ever see that happening,” he said. Regarding ongoing conflicts, he described Hamas as “pretty violent people” but noted a pathway to resolution: “The Hamas situation, they’re pretty violent people. We could put that out in two minutes. We’re giving them a chance. They agreed that they’d be very good and straight. They wouldn’t be killing people. If they don’t honour the deal, they’ll be taken care of very quickly. It is total peace in the Middle East; we have levels of friendship with everybody. Every country that hated each other now loves each other. Nobody ever saw anything like it.”
The White House Diwali observance, complete with illuminated lamps symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness, served as a platform for these candid reflections. A video of the event, capturing Trump’s lamp-lighting and remarks, circulated widely, blending cultural homage with geopolitical discourse.
