US President Donald Trump has extended his congratulations to Prime Minister Modi after the BJP’s decisive election victory in the Bengal state elections.
“Just last month on their phone call, President Trump expressed to Prime Minister Modi his admiration and how lucky India is to have him as its leader. The President congratulates Prime Minister Modi on this recent, historic, and decisive election victory,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai.
US presidents have traditionally extended their congratulations to Indian leaders after general election victories, not state election results.
In 2024, then-US President Joe Biden congratulated PM Modi after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance returned to power for a third term. Biden also congratulated Droupadi Murmu after she took office as India’s President in 2022.
Trump’s comments also come after a lengthy phone call between the two leaders last month, focused on the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Received a call from my friend President Donald Trump. We reviewed the substantial progress achieved in our bilateral cooperation in various sectors. We are committed to further strengthening our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in all areas. We also discussed the situation in West Asia and stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure,” PM Modi said on X after the call.
Ties between the two countries have improved after a turbulent few months where the Trump administration placed a 50% tariff on India, including a 25% tariff penalty for purchasing Russian energy. Tensions over Donald Trump’s courting of Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir and the US leader’s claim that he helped mediate a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
Tensions eased in September after Trump called Modi to congratulate him on his 75th birthday. The two leaders held a series of phone calls through the rest of 2025, as trade delegations from both countries met to seal a trade agreement between New Delhi and Washington.
A deal was eventually agreed in February and a steady flow of high-level visitors, including Indian Air Force chief AP Singh, Army chief Upendra Dwivedi, US Space Force Commander Stephen Whiting. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau also visited India in March while Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to arrive in India at the end of May.