Advertisement
Howdy Modi: Trump to host Indian PM at rally in Texas to show off planned trade deal
- Houston is home to a large population of Indian Americans, an electoral target for Republicans in Texas and elsewhere
- Modi is seeking to shore up international support abroad as he ignores calls to end a state of emergency in Kashmir
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
US President Donald Trump plans to appear alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an unusual campaign-style event next weekend in Houston that organisers have dubbed “Howdy, Modi!” the White House said on Sunday.
Advertisement
The White House said the September 22 event in Texas, along with a separate stop with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Ohio the same day, “underscore the important partnerships between the United States and India, and Australia”.
The whirlwind of world leaders comes just before all three are expected to attend a meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The Houston event will offer Trump and Modi a chance to showcase a planned trade agreement before an audience of Indian Americans they want to impress. Houston is home to a large population of Indian Americans, an electoral target for Republicans in Texas and elsewhere. The White House said the event is expected to draw tens of thousands of people. Modi, a Hindu nationalist, is seeking to shore up international support abroad as he ignores international calls to end a state of emergency in the disputed Kashmir region.
“It will be a great opportunity to emphasise the strong ties between the people of the United States and India, to reaffirm the strategic partnership between the world’s oldest and largest democracies, and to discuss ways to deepen their energy and trade relationship,” a statement from White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said.
Trump angered Modi’s government with an off-the-cuff claim in July that India wanted his help to mediate with Pakistan over Kashmir. He has since said he thinks the two sides can work out the dispute themselves. He is under pressure from lawmakers to urge Modi to lift the lockdown.
Advertisement
Advertisement