'Very Tough Cookie': Trump Admires PM Modi Again After 'Total Killer' Remark at G7 Summit in France

United States President Donald Trump has showered praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called him a “very tough cookie”, according to reports.

“Trump named China’s Xi Jinping and India’s Narendra Modi as the world leaders he most admires, praising Xi as ‘all business’ and Modi as ‘a very tough cookie’,” reports said.

This comes after Trump expressed his admiration for PM Modi when he met him on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France.

“He is the most beautiful looking man. He looks so nice. He is like an angel. But actually he is as tough as a killer. He is a killer. But he looks so good, so he gets you by surprise,” Trump had said about PM Modi.

He also praised the Indian prime minister’s negotiating skills and expressed admiration for his calm demeanour. 

“He’s a very tough negotiator, a total killer at the negotiating table. He’s calm, he’s cool, and he thinks a lot about India. He always puts India’s interests first.”

He also reiterated America’s commitment to defending India as long as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is still leading the country.

Asked on the defence relationship between India and the United States, Trump replied, “If anybody attacks that man, we’re going to be there. Now if there’s a new leader, I’m not sure about it.”

“If they’re attacked and he’s the leader, we’re going to be there to help,” he said.

The two leaders met at the G7 Summit in France, their first in-person talks in 16+ months, after PM Modi’s official visit to the White House in February 2025.

The proposed India-US trade deal is in its final stages, with negotiations progressing steadily and work on the agreement expected to be completed in the coming weeks.

The two nations reached an interim trade agreement earlier in February after a year of talks.

The meeting assumes significance as instability in the Strait of Hormuz continues to impact global energy markets and maritime trade. The narrow waterway remains one of the world’s most critical shipping routes, handling a substantial portion of global oil and gas supplies.