A Tale of Two Speeches: Trump’s Bonhomie with Modi Vanishes at UN Podium

The stark contrast between President Donald Trump’s recent friendly rhetoric towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his harsh condemnation of India at the UN General Assembly tells a tale of two speeches. The bonhomie of birthday calls and mutual admiration vanished at the UN podium, replaced by pointed accusations and economic threats.
Just weeks after praising “my good friend” Modi and restarting trade talks, Trump delivered a speech that seemed to come from an entirely different script. He publicly identified India as a “primary funder” of the Ukraine war, a direct consequence of its decision to continue buying Russian oil. This public rebuke marks a sharp and surprising downturn in the relationship’s tone.
This aggressive turn is not just verbal. It follows concrete actions like the doubling of US tariffs on Indian products to 50% and a recent, hefty $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, which primarily impacts Indian professionals. The friendly gestures appear to be a thin veneer over a deeply transactional and pressure-oriented policy.
Further souring the atmosphere, Trump used his platform to re-litigate a past issue, claiming he “stopped a war” between India and Pakistan. This disputed claim, which New Delhi sees as a misrepresentation of the ‘Operation Sindoor’ de-escalation, served as another point of friction, undercutting the narrative of a respectful partnership.
This whiplash in tone and policy is a hallmark of the Trump presidency, as noted by Indian observers like Shashi Tharoor, who describes the US leader as “mercurial.” For the Modi government, the challenge is to build a resilient relationship that is not wholly dependent on the unpredictable personal whims of a president who can pivot from friend to foe in a single speech.