CLAIM
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday, 5 February, claimed that US President Donald Trump, while fighting elections, had said the US government will work the same way that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is working in India.
Adityanath made these comments while addressing a rally in Purulia where he was highlighting the alleged global effect of PM Modi’s and India’s image under his prime ministership.
He can be heard making the claim about 12 minutes into the video of the rally shown below.
And this is not the first time he has made this claim.
According to an Outlook India report, the UP chief minister on 18 January had said “When US presidential candidate Donald Trump was asked how he will work for the development of his country, he answered ‘Just like Prime Minister Modi is working for the development of India’. This is a matter of pride not only for the Prime Minister but also for 125 crore Indians".
Both Trump and Modi share a cordial if somewhat fraught relationship. Except for a few occasions like Trump’s dig at Afghanistan library and his mockery of Modi’s accent, his statements on India on the whole have been mostly been positive.
But did Trump go so far as to say he would follow PM Modi’s governance style? Is India and America’s system of governance really similar?
FACT
There have been no reports or records of Donald Trump actually saying what Yogi has claimed on two different occasions.
Although Trump has praised India’s growth and PM Modi earlier, no mention of him saying he would follow the Modi’s working style has been found.
'TRUMP NEVER SAID HE’D FOLLOW MODI’S STYLE OF GOVERNANCE’
According to senior journalist Varghese K George, who covers India-US ties extensively and has written a book on the subject, Trump never said he will follow Modi’s governance style. The only time Trump did liken himself to Modi was after their meeting in 2017, where he said himself and Modi are the world leaders in social media, Varghese said.
“Trump has never said it. Not even once has he said that he follows Modi’s style of governance. The only time Trump spoke about himself and Modi together is when he said they both are world leaders in social media. That is the only comparison Trump has ever made of himself with Modi.”Varghese K George, Journalist, to The Quint
HOW SIMILAR IS GOVERNANCE IN INDIA AND AMERICA?
Speaking to The Quint, Dhruva Jaishankar, Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at Brookings India, said “The US system of governance is vastly different from India’s, despite some similarities (like a federal system). The levels of development are also incredibly different”.
“While it is possible to argue that Trump and Modi have a good working relationship, it is unlikely that Modi’s governance policies are actively shaping Trump’s governance.”Dhruva Jaishankar, Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies at Brookings India
‘AB KI BAAR, TRUMP SARKAR’ AD CAMPAIGN
As far as taking inspiration from Modi goes, Trump, in his campaign to woo Indian-American voters in the US, had used PM Modi’s catchphrase – ‘Ab ki baar, Modi sarkar’ – tweaking it to ‘Ab ki baar, Trump sarkar’. The ad created a buzz and Trump can also be heard saying he is looking forward to working with Modi.
However, nowhere in the ad campaign did he say his government will work the same way Modi government has worked in India.
(Not convinced of a story you came across on social media and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9910181818 and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)