Emphasising the strong foundation of India-US ties, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday that India is not bothered by the possible return of former US President Donald Trump to the White House.
During an interactive session at The Raisina Dialogue, Jaishankar remarked on the relationship between the two democratic countries, highlighting its growth since the Bill Clinton administration which ended in 2001. His response was prompted by a question about the potential impact on bilateral ties in the event of another Trump presidency, considering his current lead in all major polls ahead of the elections.
“President Trump was president from 2017 to 2021. We had a really good relationship with him. He came here on a visit. My prime minister (Narendra Modi) went there on some visits,” the minister said in response to a question posed by an audience member. “Like any relationship, there were issues, but overall, in those four years, did our relationship deepen or grow? Absolutely,” he asserted.
“It’s not just President Trump. If you look at India-US relations from perhaps the Clinton era, with every presidency, the relationship has actually deepened. Now, you can attribute it to structural advantages, you could attribute it to clever diplomacy — I am modest about it. But the fact is, it has grown, and I have every confidence it will continue to do so,” he said.
Jaishankar’s remarks come as US President Joe Biden and his leading Republican challenger Trump remain locked in a tight election rematch after a special prosecutor’s report commenting on the Democratic incumbent’s mental acuity. The four-day Reuters/Ipsos poll, which closed last week, showed the former President with the support of 37 percent of respondents, compared with 34 percent support for Biden. The finding showed a closer race than a poll last month that found Trump holding a 6 percentage point lead.
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