US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor recounted an anecdote about the personal rapport between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing how Trump once wanted to call the Indian Prime Minister at six in the morning during a casual backstage conversation in Miami.
Speaking at the IX USISPF Leadership Summit 2026 in Washington DC, Gor said the moment captured the informal nature of the relationship between the two leaders.
"A couple months ago, I was with the President (Trump) at UFC in Miami. We were sitting backstage, and he said to me, let's call the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and I said, it's 6:00 a.m. there. He said, he'll be up. He's like me. He doesn't sleep," Gor recalled.
The envoy said the anecdote reflected something deeper about how Trump views India's leadership.
"The louder message of that story is when you're friends with somebody, not everything has to be scheduled. The President truly considers the Prime Minister a friend. When you're friends with somebody, you pick up the phone, you say, how are you doing. Not everything has to be scheduled six weeks in advance at 2 p.m. in the afternoon and that is how he sees India," Gor said.
ALSO READ: Trump Damaged India Ties, Iran War Drove Up Energy Costs: US Congressman Ro Khanna
The remarks came as Gor used his appearance at the summit to project optimism about the broader India-US relationship, even as both sides work to finalise a long-pending bilateral trade agreement.
He has separately said that negotiations on the trade pact have entered their final stretch, with officials from both governments describing it as being in the "last 1 or 2%" of completion.
Gor's comments add to a string of remarks from US officials in recent months emphasising the personal chemistry between Trump and Modi as a stabilising factor in the bilateral relationship, even as trade negotiations, tariff disputes and geopolitical pressures have periodically tested ties between Washington and New Delhi.
ALSO READ: Venezuela Earthquake: Mother, Newborn Survive Under Rubble For 32 Hours, Death Toll Rises To 1,700
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.