Former US President and current Republican nominee, Donald Trump, announced on September 17 that he would meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit, which began on Saturday, September 21.

Speaking at a rally in Michigan, Trump—who is running for office again—referred to India as a "very big abuser" in trade but praised Modi as a "fantastic man." He also mentioned, “He happens to be coming to meet me next week.”

Prime Minister Modi departed for a three-day visit to the United States on Saturday morning. His trip includes participation in the Quad Leaders' Summit, a speech at the 'Summit of the Future' at the United Nations General Assembly, and interactions with the Indian diaspora.

No Official Confirmation Yet
Despite Trump's claim, there has been no official confirmation from the Indian government regarding a potential meeting between the two leaders. On September 19, just two days before Modi’s visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) remained silent on the possibility of a Modi-Trump meeting.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Thursday, "There are many meetings with the prime minister right now which we are trying to fix," without confirming or denying the meeting. He added, “I will not be able to tell you about any specific meeting, whether the meeting has been fixed or not.” However, Misri assured that Modi would engage with several business and industry leaders during his trip.

Modi's itinerary includes participation in the sixth Quad Leaders' Summit, hosted by US President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware, on September 21. This summit will mark the start of Modi's visit.

In 2019, then-President Trump hosted Modi at an event in Texas attended by around 50,000 people. The following year, Modi welcomed Trump to Gujarat, where over 120,000 people attended the event.

The Election Timing Factor
Some experts argue that a meeting between Trump and Modi during the US election season could be awkward. With the US presidential elections just two months away, Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Program at the Wilson Center, said the timing would not only be uncomfortable but could also spark controversy.

Kugelman suggested that if Modi meets with Trump but not with Vice-President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, it could lead to speculation about Modi's political preferences. “There would be strong perceptions that he does have a preference,” he said.

However, other analysts believe that a Modi-Trump meeting would not necessarily imply any endorsement of the Republican candidate.

Indian-American Voters and Election Influence

Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, has a strong connection to India as her mother is of Indian origin. Currently, there are about 5 million Indian Americans in the United States, making them the largest Asian ethnic group and the second-largest immigrant group in the country after Mexicans.

While Indian Americans generally lean towards the Democratic Party, around 20 percent identify as Republicans, according to various reports.

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