PoliticsDonald Trump Calls Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'Beautiful' and 'Like an Angel' in Odd G7 Moment
Donald Trump praised Narendra Modi at the G7 meeting.
June 23 2026, Updated 7:29 a.m. ET
President Donald Trump sat down with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G7 with trade tensions, oil sanctions and a deadly U.S. military strike hanging over the meeting. What caught the internet’s attention, though, was Trump talking about Modi like he was casting a movie star.
The two leaders met June 17 on the sidelines of the summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, days after three Indian sailors were killed in a U.S. strike on a tanker in the Gulf of Oman. India’s Foreign Ministry formally protested the incident, but Trump worked hard to project warmth in front of the cameras.
The Compliment That Stopped the Room
Donald Trump called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'the most beautiful looking man.'
“We have the best relationship. We cannot be closer than we are. Would you say that, sir? I don’t think we can be any closer,” Trump said, reaching out to clasp Modi’s hand. “Both him and I, and our nations. But it really starts with the two of us.”
Asked about condolences for the mariners’ families, Trump said, “It’s a tough profession. There’s no question about it. And we work together on it.” He added, “We love all of those people. They’re great people.”
But the line that traveled was Trump’s over-the-top description of Modi as a negotiator.
“He’s the most beautiful looking man. He looks so nice. He’s like an angel. But actually, he’s as tough as — he’s a killer,” Trump said.
Diplomacy With a Viral Twist
The prime minister raised concerns about the safety of Indian seafarers.
Modi did not ignore the strike. He thanked Trump for reaching an agreement to end the war with Iran, then raised the safety of Indian nationals working on ships around the world.
“Their safety is of utmost importance to us,” Modi said. “You made tremendous efforts towards reaching this understanding and this agreement, and I’m confident that the issue of seafarers will receive the highest priority during the implementation of this agreement.”
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The leaders discussed trade and maritime security concerns.
Trump also said a broader U.S.-India trade deal is “very close,” even as the two countries continue working through disputes tied to tariffs and India’s purchases of Russian oil.
Strongmen, Compliments and the G7 Feed
The moment quickly spread across social media.
The Modi moment was not Trump’s only unusually effusive exchange at the summit. He also recalled meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi before the 2016 election, saying, “We fell in love, deeply in love.”
That combination of high-stakes diplomacy and strange personal praise made the clips perfect fodder for social media. While world leaders were focused on Iran, Ukraine, trade and shipping security, viewers online were parsing Trump’s compliments, awkward body language and tendency to turn formal meetings into personality showcases.
