Hearing of PM Modi’s Estranged Wife, Trump Joked He’d ‘Set Him Up’

Trump made the joke in June 2017 at the time of Modi’s US visit.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. 

(Photo: PTI)

US President Donald Trump allegedly joked about “setting up” Indian prime minister Narendra Modi with someone upon learning from his aides that Modi is estranged from his wife, a new Politico report said. Trump made the joke in June 2017 at the time of his meeting with Modi at the White House.

"Ah, I think I can set him up with somebody," Trump joked.

Prime Minister Modi was married as a teen, but then left his village and his wife shortly after. Until 2014, around the time Modi announced his run for the top post, he had never acknowledged her existence formally, NDTV reported.

The report spoke of Trump's lack of familiarity with South Asia, and listed the many "diplomatic faux pas" the leader has made since he assumed office. During the same meeting, Trump reportedly mispronounced Nepal as ‘nipple’ and “laughingly” referred to Bhutan as ‘button’, Politico reported, citing two sources, who said he also seemed confused about their geographical location between India and China. Two unnamed sources told Politico:

Trump didn’t know what those were. He thought it was all part of India. He was like, ‘What is this stuff in between and these other countries?’

However, this is not the first time Trump has made a joke about Modi. The Washington Post reported, citing senior officials, that Trump has been known to imitate an Indian accent when talking about Modi in his conversations about US policy in Afghanistan.

Along with the US President’s apparent ignorance about other countries and leaders, the report also states his lack of telephone etiquette and desire to call world leaders at awkward hours, as he did not seem to grasp the relevance of different time zones.

(Inputs from Politico.)