Republic Day 2026: Amid tariffs and diplomatic sparring, Donald Trump sends THIS message to PM Modi

New Delhi: On the occasion of India's 77th Republic Day, countries around the world sent congratulatory messages. Among them were greetings from US President Donald Trump. The American president, referring to the historical ties between the two countries, described India and the United States as the world's oldest and largest democracies respectively.

What message did Donald Trump send to PM Modi?

The congratulatory message from President Donald Trump was shared on social media by the US Embassy. In the message, Trump wrote, "On behalf of the people of the United States, I extend my warmest congratulations to the Government and people of India on their 77th Republic Day. The United States and India share a historic bond as the world’s oldest and largest democracies."

Following Trump's remarks, US Ambassador Sergio Gor also extended his greetings on Republic Day. He said he felt honored to participate in the Republic Day parade for the first time. Seeing American-made aircraft flying in the Indian skies is a powerful symbol of the strong political partnership between the US and India.

How are the ties between India and the US?

It is noteworthy that relations between India and the US have changed considerably between the last Republic Day and this one. In the first year of Trump's second term, the US imposed a 50 percent tariff on India, and there was considerable friction between the two countries. Furthermore, Trump openly called India's economy "dead." Following this, Prime Minister Modi also publicly stated that he would not hesitate to incur personal losses to protect the interests of Indian farmers.

The US imposed a 25 percent tariff on India over the trade deficit. Subsequently, Trump announced an additional 25 percent tariff on Russian oil purchases. India called this tariff unfair and stated that it would take any necessary steps to protect its sovereignty and national interests.