Trump forgot India's 'no questions' request at G7, held 45-min presser with PM Modi, claims US envoy

U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has alleged that former President Donald Trump overlooked India's request for a "no questions" press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gor shared this account, describing it as a "behind-the-scenes" detail, during the Economic Times World Leaders Forum.

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As soon as they get done (with the meeting), the first thing the president does, he looks up at the camera and says, any questions? And that opened everything up.

According to Gor, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs had specifically requested that no questions be posed after the meeting between Modi and Trump. However, Gor recounted that immediately after their remarks, Trump turned to the cameras and asked, "any questions?" This action, Gor explained, "opened everything up," leading to an extended press conference.

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We were behind the scenes, behind the stage, and at one point it was just the president and I, and he asked me, he goes, what are the Indians going to raise? We went over some topics. And he said, do they have any asks? And the MEA had one ask. He said, and it was, let's bring in the media, but let's not do a full press conference.

Gor detailed the situation, stating that he had informed Trump about India's preference for no questions. Despite this, when the press entered the room, with approximately 50 cameras present, Trump initiated the question-and-answer session after both leaders had spoken briefly. What was intended to be a controlled interaction evolved into a 45-minute press conference where "everything was on the table."

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I told the president, I said, the Indians prefer no questions. He said, sure, no problem. So the meeting starts, the press comes in, there must have been 50 cameras, the president is sitting here, the prime minister is sitting there, they both speak for a few minutes. As soon as they get done, the first thing the president does, he looks up at the camera and says, any questions?

During the actual meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in June, Modi had raised concerns about the safety of Indian seafarers operating in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump, in response, had assured India of U.S. support if it were ever attacked. The Indian government or the Ministry of External Affairs has not yet officially responded to Ambassador Gor's claims.

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Many Indian seafarers in Strait of Hormuz, their safety of utmost importance.