Report cites senior administration officials as saying that Trump “has been known to affect an Indian accent and imitate” Modi.
(This post has been updated.)
President Trump frequently mimics Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s accent, according to a report.
The Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing senior administration officials that Trump “has been known to affect an Indian accent and imitate” the Indian leader.
Modi reportedly told the US president during their Oval Office meeting that “Never has a country given so much away for so little in return” as the United States in Afghanistan.
According to the report, Trump views Modi’s statement as “proof that the rest of the world viewed the United States as being duped and taken advantage of in Afghanistan.”
It is not clear from the report whether Trump’s mimicking was to drive home a point on the US involvement in Afghanistan or to ridicule Modi.
Indian American Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-IL, criticized Trump for mimicking Modi
“I was appalled to read that President Trump reportedly affected an Indian accent to imitate Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said in a statement issued Monday. “In the wake of the President’s recent comments disparaging entire regions of the world while we still face such division at home, behavior that belittles our allies and ‘otherizes’ entire communities of Americans is one of the last things we need. Americans are not defined by their accents, but by their commitment to this nation’s values and ideals.”
The president is known for mimicking others often to make fun of others. During the 2016 campaign, he mocked a disabled reporter during a speech in South Carolina. The reporter, New York Times’ Serge Kovaleski, has a chronic condition that affects the movement of arms.
Later he denied that he was mocking the reporter’s appearance.
Earlier this month, Trump was widely criticized for allegedly calling Haiti, El Salvador and African nations “Shithole” countries during a White House meeting on immigration.
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