Mary Millben Urges Trump to Apologise to PM Modi for Strained US-India Ties

Trump owes PM Modi apology: Mary Millben urges "reset" in US-India ties ahead of G7 Summit

Washington DC, June 10

Speaking to ANI, Millben, an outspoken cultural ambassador and proponent of stronger US-India ties, expressed concern over the current state of bilateral relations.

She suggested that while the "affection" between the two leaders was palpable during President Trump's first term, most notably evidenced by the 2019 "Howdy Modi" rally in Houston, the dynamic has faltered under the current administration.

"We certainly saw the great affection between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi during the president's first term. Certainly, when the prime minister came over for the Howdy Modi rally and we saw all of this affection between President Trump and the prime minister that was very real and I believe that that relationship is real," she said.

Millben argued that the current US administration has been poorly advised regarding the strategic importance of the India partnership.

"Of course, I believe just to be very candid that the Trump administration had the wrong approach, the wrong counsel to the president as it pertains to this term, Trump 2.0. We saw the wrong direction with the tear of the situation. There's been the wrong rhetoric and narrative around the visa situation. I just think that this administration has not advised the president well in the context of why the US-India relationship is important," she said, pointing to recent friction over visa policies and aggressive rhetoric that she believes has strained the diplomatic climate.

"The President owes the Prime Minister an apology, and he should make it," Millben stated. "It would be to the benefit of the President to use this opportunity to really repair the relationship."

As Prime Minister Modi prepares to travel to Évian-les-Bains, France, for the 52nd G7 Summit, scheduled for June 15-17, 2026, Millben urged that the meeting between the two leaders must transcend formal optics.

"I think that we're on a better footing. I certainly applaud the ambassador, the US Ambassador to India, Ambassador Gor, who's a good friend and is doing a great job in his capacity there. But I think that I know that the prime minister and the president are scheduled to have an interface at the G7 summit next week, and I hope that that interface will be more than just photos and pop and circumstance. It would be in the best interest of the president to use this opportunity to really repair the relationship with the prime minister," she said.

Despite the current tensions, Millben remains optimistic about the long-term trajectory of the partnership. She noted that Prime Minister Modi's sustained tenure, now recognised as the longest of any continuously elected Indian Prime Minister, demonstrates his enduring political stability.

"The prime minister has outlasted consecutive US presidents and he will be around once President Trump's term is over and he will welcome in the new relationship with the next president in 2028 and so on. And so again, it would be to the benefit of the president to use his opportunity to put us back on better terms. And certainly, I applaud the prime minister for his leadership and the difficulties of the relationship here these last several months. But I think we're going to be on a better footing. And I hope that next week at the G7 Summit, we see a great interface between the president and the prime minister," she said.

The upcoming G7 Summit is widely viewed as a pivotal moment for international diplomacy and for the US-India bilateral relationship. It presents a significant stage for both leaders to address recent grievances and reaffirm their strategic alliance.

— ANI