Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton says the once-close personal bond between Donald Trump and Narendra Modi has evaporated. This comes amid escalating trade tensions over Trump tariffs on India.
“Trump had a very good relationship personally with Modi. I think that’s gone now, and it’s a lesson to everybody,” Bolton said in an interview with British outlet LBC. “For example, (UK Prime Minister) Keir Starmer — a good personal relationship may help at times, but it won’t protect you from the worst.”
Bolton’s remarks come at a tense moment in India-US ties. Trump has slapped a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, while Modi has been spotted in Beijing alongside Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, signalling New Delhi’s shifting priorities.
The former Trump aide, now a frequent critic, said the US President views foreign policy through the narrow lens of personal rapport.
“I think Trump sees international relations through the prism of his personal relationships with leaders,” Bolton said. “So, if he has a good relationship with Vladimir Putin, the US has a good relationship with Russia. That’s obviously not the case.”
Bolton’s warning suggests that Modi’s much-hyped “bromance” with Trump, which once dominated headlines from Houston’s “Howdy Modi” rally to state visits, may have reached a dead end.
Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser from April 2018 to September 2019, has often expanded on his views of the former president’s foreign policy outlook. In August, federal agents raided Bolton’s home on the orders of Trump-appointed FBI Director Kash Patel.
Bolton also warned other leaders, including UK’s Keir Starmer, saying, “A strong personal relationship with Trump might provide temporary benefits, but ultimately it won’t shield you from the worst of his decision-making.”
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