Event Highlights
Donald Trump India Visit LIVE Updates: Ahmedabad has been decked up to the hilt to host US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and a 12-member delegation, including the president’s daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, tomorrow. But uncertainty looms on whether Trump would visit the Sabarmati Ashram after attending the grand ‘Namaste, Trump, event at the Motera Stadium with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to greet Trump in Ahmedabad for a road show leading to the ‘Namaste, Trump’ rally at the huge stadium which has a capacity to accommodate 110,000 spectators. After his mega rally and road show in Ahmedabad and a stopover in Agra to see the Taj Mahal on February 24, Trump will hold official meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi the next day. After Barack Obama, Trump is the only other US President to visit India in his first term.
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Feb 23, 2020 12:30 pm (IST)
‘America First’ Versus ‘Make in India’ | Trade ties between the United States and India have long been problematic but under ‘America First’ President Donald Trump and ‘Make in India’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they have worsened. While eclipsed by his trade war with China, Trump’s tussle with India, and New Delhi’s prickly reaction, has made a major pact unlikely during the American president’s visit to the world’s fifth-largest economy from Monday. “They’ve been hitting us very, very hard for many, many years,” Trump said of India ahead of the 36-hour trip to Ahmedabad, Agra and New Delhi accompanied by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and others.
Feb 23, 2020 12:11 pm (IST)
Yesterday, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra raised questions over the funding of the committee formed to oversee various programmes during US President Donald Trump’s Ahmedabad visit on February 24. “Rs 100 crore is being spent on the visit of President Trump. But this money is being spent through a committee. The members of the committee do not know that they are its members. Does the country not have the right to know which ministry gave how much money to the committee? What is the government hiding under the guise of the committee?” the Congress general secretary tweeted.
Feb 23, 2020 12:05 pm (IST)
In a series of tweets, Congress’ Jaiveer Shergill enlisted issues that PM Modi raise during US President Donald Trump’s visit. Relaxation in H1-B and economic sanctions on Pakistan for export of terror are among the 10 fields.
Issues PM should raise with President Trump:
1. Kashmir is internal matter of India & US need not offer to mediate.
2. India can replace China as supplier of goods.
3. Indo-Russia relations cannot be derailed due to US dynamics.
4. QUAD needs to be more effective.
5. Trade Deal.— Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) February 23, 2020
Feb 23, 2020 11:58 am (IST)
Talks between the Trump administration and New Delhi, intended to forge at least a modest deal in time for President Donald Trump’s visit that begins tomorrow appear to have fizzled. Barring some last-minute dramatics always possible with the Trump White House, a US-India trade pact is months away, if not longer.
Feb 23, 2020 11:57 am (IST)
Trump’s convoy route from the airport to the Taj Mahal is about 13 km and along the way thousands of artistes will welcome him with special performances.
Feb 23, 2020 11:13 am (IST)
Huge Billboards Greeting Trump Put Up in Agra | Massive billboards greeting US President Donald Trump ahead of his India visit and reflecting the bonhomie between him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have come up in Agra, which is on the itinerary of the American leader. From streets near the airport to public squares in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal, the billboards have added to the air of excitement in Agra that is eagerly expecting the arrival of Trump, who will be in the city for a couple of hours.
Feb 23, 2020 11:05 am (IST)
Why Uncertainty over Trump’s visit to Sabarmati Ashram, Asks NCP’s Vaghela | NCP leader from Gujarat Shankersinh Vaghela on Saturday questioned “uncertainty” surrounding US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on February 24. He also accused the BJP governments at the Centre and Gujarat of “spinning a web of lies” over the upcoming “Namaste Trump” event, which is scheduled to be held at Motera stadium.
Feb 23, 2020 10:45 am (IST)
Area Around Delhi School Spruced Up | All roads leading to a Delhi government school where US First Lady Melania Trump is scheduled to pay a visit next week have been repaired, an official said yesterday. According to a senior MCD official, roads and footpaths have been repaired and saplings planted to welcome her. The official said the civic body concerned has been tasked with sanitation arrangements and all garbage has been removed from the vicinity of the school. Melania Trump is likely to visit the Delhi government school on Tuesday.
Feb 23, 2020 10:29 am (IST)
The roads the President will use will have been carefully sanitised, emergency escape routes planned, threat scenarios rehearsed: nothing is left to chance. Even though state police forces and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will be on hand to provide layers of protection for the VVIP summit — with the National Security Guard (NSG) standing by, just in case — the innermost ring of Trump’s security will be made up of the Secret Service. Read full story here.
Feb 23, 2020 10:18 am (IST)
Ahead of Donald Trump’s India visit, work has been going on around the clock to spruce things up — to the annoyance of some locals as well as monkeys. The photo opportunity highlights of the 36-hour trip include a rally of 100,000 people at the world’s largest cricket stadium and watching the sunset with First Lady Melania at the Taj Mahal. A long wall has been hastily built, along the route in Ahmedabad to the new Sardar Patel Stadium. Locals believe the wall is there to hide a slum, although officials deny it. A local NGO and the state forest department have also been roped in to keep birds and bands of monkeys out of Air Force One’s way on the runway at Ahmedabad airport. Read full story here.
Feb 23, 2020 9:53 am (IST)
Yechury, Swamy Say Trump’s Visit Won’t Benefit India | CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and BJP MP Subramanian Swamy yesterday said US president Donald Trump’s visit will not benefit India, but is aimed at boosting the American economy. Both the leaders were in the city to attend a function. “He has come to boost his economy and not ours. So I do not see any benefit to our country,” Swamy said. While Yechury said, “We are worried over his visit. The US President is coming to draw concessions for US farmers.”
Feb 23, 2020 9:44 am (IST)
Trump’s Upcoming Visit to India a Campaign for US Polls: Baghel | Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel yesterday termed US President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to India as a “campaign” for the presidential polls in that country. He said Trump is seeking votes of Indians settled in the US by visiting India.
Replying to a query on preparations for the US President’s visit to Ahmedabad and Delhi on February 24-25, Baghel said, “I think he (Trump) is coming (to India) for election campaign. A large number of Indian (origin) people live there (in America) and (he is coming) to get their votes. Otherwise, what does it mean to visit (India) in the midst of (US Presidential) elections”.
Feb 23, 2020 9:35 am (IST)
The US President, who arrived at the White House following four days of hectic political campaigning in the western parts of the country, had no public engagements on Saturday. Trump did not go for a round of golf, which is normally the case for him on a bright sunny weekend day in Washington.
Feb 23, 2020 9:33 am (IST)
Trump Retweets Morphed Video of Himself as ‘Baahubali’ | US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he was looking forward to being with his “great friends” in India next week as he retweeted a short video in which his face was superimposed on the hit movie-character Bahubali, showing the president as a great saviour bringing peace to his kingdom. “Look so forward to being with my great friends India!” Trump said in a tweet on Saturday. Along with the tweet, Trump retweeted an 81-second video by a Twitter account identified as “Sol” with the handle Solmemes1. Read the full story here.
Feb 23, 2020 9:30 am (IST)
Donald Trump will visit India on February 24 and 25 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Trump will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including First Lady Melania Trump, the President’s daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner and a galaxy of top American officials.
Feb 23, 2020 9:27 am (IST)
Trump Has Been India’s Best Friend Among Other US Presidents, Says Campaign Official | US President Donald Trump has been India’s best friend among all his predecessors, an official of the Trump 2020 Presidential Campaign said on Saturday, on the eve of the president leaving for his first state visit to India. “President Trump has been the best friend of India amongst all US Presidents. He loves Indians and Indian-Americans. Indian Americans nationwide love him as much,” Al Mason, advisor to Global Real Estate Investments, Education Institutions and Hospitals, said.
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Barack Obama visited India twice — 2010 and 2015. Dwight D Eisenhower was the first US President to visit India in 1959. Richard Nixon travelled to India in 1969 and Jimmy Carter in 1978. Bill Clinton visited India in 2000 and George W Bush in 2006.
US President Donald Trump has been India’s best friend among all his predecessors, an official of the Trump 2020 Presidential Campaign said on Saturday, on the eve of the president leaving for his first state visit to India.
Trump will visit India on February 24 and 25 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Trump will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including First Lady Melania Trump, the President’s daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner and a galaxy of top American officials.
“President Trump has been the best friend of India amongst all US Presidents. He loves Indians and Indian-Americans. Indian Americans nationwide love him as much,” Al Mason, advisor to Global Real Estate Investments, Education Institutions and Hospitals, told PTI.
“How else do you explain 60,000 Indian-Americans attending his ‘Howdy, Modi!’ rally with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston, not to overlook the fact that billion-plus Indians in India love President Trump too,” he said referring to Trump and Modi sharing the stage in September in Houston at a massive rally of Indian-Americans called “Howdy, Modi!”.
“Why else would 1,20,000 Indians sign up to attend Trump’s rally in the world largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, with over 5 million Indians greeting, and following President Trump from the Airport to the cricket stadium,” he said.