President Donald Trump interrupted a reporter to say that he couldn’t understand his question because of his “accent” during a press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday.
The reporter, from news agency India Today, cited how the president’s decision to extradite a suspect in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, Tahawwur Rana, will garner him a warm welcome in India but noted that there are still anti-Indian forces prevalent in the U.S. through Khalistani separatists. The reporter questioned Trump about what his plans would be to address that.
“You’re going to have to go louder,” Trump first responded.
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This prompted the reporter to ask the question a second time, however, the president interrupted to say: “I can’t understand a word he’s saying. It’s not the—it’s the accent. It’s a little bit tough for me.”
Minutes later, after the president finished answering a separate question, another reporter from India Today circled back to ask her colleague’s question again.
“The question is about the fact that you’ve decided to extradite the Tahawwur Rana, thank you so much. India has been waiting to have him back in India to bring him to justice,” the reporter began. “But there are many other elements in the United States of America, particularly Khalistani separatists, who’ve been working against Indian interests—how’s the United States of America going to cooperate on that front with India?”
“There have been allegations that have been leveled against Indian agencies by the Biden administration,” the reporter added. “Are you going to relook that with Tulsi Gabbard as DNI [Director of National Intelligence] now?”
The president responded by saying that he believes India did not have a “very good relationship” with the Biden administration, citing their refusal to sell them oil and gas as a reason.
As for Rana, who is accused of helping facilitate a 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai that killed 166 people and is being held in a high-security prison in the U.S., the president said: “We’re giving him back to India immediately and there are more to follow because we have quite a few requests.”
“We work with India on crime and we want to make it good for India,” Trump continued. “So that kind of a relationship is very important to us,” he added before moving on to the next question.
Elsewhere in the news conference that tackled India and the U.S.’s new trade relations, Modi announced the dawn of MIGA—Make India Great Again.
“The people of America are well aware of MAGA,” the prime minister shared. “The people of India are also moving towards Viksit Bharat 2047. In the language of America, it’s Make India Great Again.”
“When America and India work together, that is when it’s MAGA plus MIGA, it becomes MEGA, a mega partnership for prosperity,” he continued.
The president similarly brushed off a reporter for not being able to understand their accent during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, telling a female reporter from Afghanistan: “ It’s a beautiful voice and a beautiful accent. The only problem is I can’t understand a word you’re saying. But, but I just say this—good luck, live in peace.”
