Modi ‘tough cookie’, ‘great leader’ who has been in power for over 12 years, says Trump

US President Donald Trump heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he is a “great leader” and “tough guy” who has been in power for more than 12 years.

In an interview with axiosMr. Trump has described Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mr. Modi as the two leaders he likes most in terms of power, influence and ability to implement them.

“I think Modi is very good. Yes. They’ve put out very good numbers. He stays out of the wars, which is smart. He’s 1.5 billion people. In fact, he’s the largest. India is actually the largest. And Modi is a great leader,” Mr. Trump said in response to a question about the two great leaders he likes best for their power, influence and ability to deliver results.

Mr Trump said the US had done too much business with India, which had previously “ripped us off”.

“And we do a lot of business with them, but we do fair business now. They used to really rip us off. I don’t blame them for that. You know, we had stupid politicians that let that happen. But now we do a lot of business,” Mr. Trump said.

“They’re not that happy about it because they used to do a lot better. So Modi is great,” Mr. Trump said.

The US President hailed Mr. Xi as a leader of great reputation and self-confidence.

“If you were to make a movie about any of them, you wouldn’t find that guy in Hollywood,” Mr. Trump said.

“Modi in a very different way. I just have the utmost respect. I know the real Modi is one tough cookie. Let me tell you, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know some of them that I don’t know very well,” Mr. Trump said.

Mr Trump and Mr Modi met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in a bid to repair relations between the two countries that have been strained over the past year.

Mr. Trump said he had watched India over the years and had seen leaders change quite frequently.

“Someone would be there for six months, then a year. And then suddenly Prime Minister Modi shows up; he’s been there for over 12 years, very tough. And he’s doing it literally, like there’s a great calm, but he’s still not a calm person. He’s a very tough guy,” Mr. Trump said.

The US President then listed Pakistani Chief of Defense Staff Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif among his admired leaders.