What the Mood Was Like at the ‘Namaste Trump’ Event in Motera

The Quint was at Motera to get a pulse of the one lakh strong crowd waiting to hear President Trump.

The Quint was at Motera to get a pulse of the people. The lakh-strong crowd waited eagerly for President Trump to address them.

(Photo: Erum Gour/The Quint)

A 'Namaste Trump' chant began the mega event at Motera stadium organised for US President Donald Trump by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad.

President Trump's comments on his relationship with India, ahead of his visit, had ensured that the visit was a high-profile one.

The Quint was at Motera to get a pulse of the people at the venue. The lakh-strong crowd waited eagerly for Modi and Trump to address them.

The US President began his address by heaping praises on PM Modi, calling him a 'great friend' and an 'unprecedented leader'. For a while, it seemed like that the entire speech would be centred around similar pleasantries.

However, soon after, Trump spoke about the various government schemes and programmes started by the Modi government.

There were also references to popular Bollywood movies like ‘Sholay’ and ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ and cricketers like Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar.

Trump also spoke about the upcoming US presidential elections and appealed to the 40 lakh-strong Indian-American voting community in his country.

Then he spoke about the trade deals between the US and India, but called PM Modi a "tough negotiator".

While talking about Pakistan, he said that the US has good relations with the nation and can help alleviate tensions between India and Pakistan. He, however, reiterated how America is committed to fighting Islamic extremism.

Watch The Quint's analysis of the ‘Namaste Trump’ event in the video.