During a significant address at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEOs Luncheon in Gyeongju, South Korea, U.S. President Donald Trump offered a colorful assessment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He praised PM Modi as the “nicest-looking guy” and even described him as a “father figure,” yet paradoxically labeled him “a killer” and “tough as hell.” Amidst these striking characterizations, President Trump also alluded to an impending trade agreement between the United States and India.
In the same keynote speech, the U.S. President controversially brought up his long-standing assertion that he personally intervened to prevent a “nuclear war” from erupting between India and Pakistan back in May. This claim has been widely disputed by India.
President Trump confidently stated that his direct intervention was crucial in de-escalating severe tensions between the two nuclear powers, alleging that a total of seven planes had been shot down during the intense conflict. He detailed how he personally reached out to both Prime Minister Modi and Pakistani leaders, urging them to cease hostilities, and explicitly connected the successful de-escalation to ongoing trade discussions.
In his candid style, Trump shared his perspective: “I’m doing a trade deal with India, and I have great respect and love for Prime Minister Modi. We have a great relationship. Likewise, the Prime Minister of Pakistan is a great guy. They have a field marshal. You know why he’s a field marshal? He’s a great fighter. And I know them all. I’m reading that seven planes were shot down. These are two nuclear nations. And they’re really going at it.”
He continued by recounting his interventions: “And I called Prime Minister Modi and said, ‘We can’t make a trade deal with you… You’re starting a war with Pakistan. We’re not going to do it.’ And then I called Pakistan and said, ‘We’re not going to do trade with you because you’re fighting with India.’ They said, ‘No, no, you should let us fight.’ They both said that. They’re strong people. Prime Minister Modi is the nicest-looking guy. He looks like you’d like to have your father, but he’s a killer. He’s tough as hell. ‘No, we will fight,’ (PM Modi said). I said, ‘…this is the same man that I know’.”
Furthermore, President Trump drew a stark comparison between his approach to the crisis and that of former U.S. President Joe Biden, openly questioning whether Biden would have been capable of achieving a similar resolution.
He concluded his narrative by stating, “After literally two days, they called up, and they said, ‘We understand,’ and they stopped fighting. How is that? Isn’t that amazing? Now, do you think Biden would have done that? I don’t think so.”
Trump’s remarks about the India-Pakistan conflict recall a significant escalation that occurred in May. This followed India’s “Operation Sindoor,” a series of targeted precision strikes against nine terrorist camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). These strikes were a direct response to the horrific April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which tragically claimed the lives of 26 civilians.
The U.S. President has consistently repeated his assertions of having played a pivotal role in de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. He frequently argues that the strategic use of trade and tariffs is an instrumental tool for the U.S. in preventing international conflicts.
It is important to note that India has consistently and firmly rejected President Trump’s claims. Indian officials maintain that the ceasefire was achieved through bilateral discussions between the Director Generals of Military Operations, explicitly denying any third-party involvement. India continues to uphold its long-standing stance that all outstanding issues with Pakistan, including the contentious matters related to Jammu and Kashmir, must be resolved bilaterally between the two nations.