Modi relieved after Trump unharmed in DC incident; trade talks conclude, Army chief honored in US
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday he was relieved that US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance were safe after a security incident in Washington, adding that violence has no place in a democracy and must be condemned.
In a post on X, Modi wrote: "Relieved to learn that President Trump, the First Lady and Vice President are safe and unharmed following the recent security incident at a Washington DC hotel. I extend my best wishes for their continued safety and well-being.
Violence has no place in a democracy and must be unequivocally condemned." A man armed with guns and knives stormed the lobby outside the White House Correspondents' dinner attended by President Trump and multiple senior US leaders on Saturday night, rushing toward the ballroom before Secret Service agents detained him.
The president was uninjured. In separate developments, the government said on Friday that three days of trade talks between Indian and US officials concluded on April 23, with both sides agreeing to remain engaged to sustain the momentum.
According to the Commerce and Industry Ministry, discussions covered market access, non-tariff measures, technical barriers to trade, customs and trade facilitation, investment promotion, economic security alignment and digital trade. The ministry described the meetings as constructive and forward-looking, enabling progress on key matters, and said both sides would keep working to maintain momentum.
The talks follow a joint statement issued on February 7 in which India and the US finalized a framework for an interim trade agreement focused on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. That framework reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to broader India–US Bilateral Trade Agreement negotiations.
Military ties also featured this week as India’s Army Chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, was inducted into the International Hall of Fame of the US Army War College in Pennsylvania, becoming the third Indian Army chief to receive the honor after General V K Singh and General Bikram Singh.
The Indian Army said in a post on X that General Dwivedi, an alumnus of the college, addressed the faculty and international student officers on leadership, professional military education and evolving security dynamics, and toured key facilities. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders in the US criticized President Trump for referring to India and some other countries as "hellholes" and accused him of amplifying "racist trash" on social media.
In a post on X, the House Foreign Affairs Committee–Democrats said Americans were struggling while he treated the presidency like a reality TV role. The comments came after Trump on Thursday reposted remarks by radio host Michael Savage that included derogatory references to India, made in the context of a US Supreme Court case on birthright citizenship.
Congressman Ro Khanna asked Vice President JD Vance for comment in a social media post. Officials on both sides said they would remain engaged on trade as they move forward, even as political and security developments continue to shape the broader trajectory of India–US relations.