Even India's Hindu nationalist prime minister is worried about Donald Trump's xenophobia


The decades-long cold shoulder India has given the United States appears to be thawing as Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to make his second visit to the White House in as many years — and it might all be thanks to Donald Trump.
India is beginning to get nervous that a President Trump would not be as friendly toward the nation as President Obama has been, The New York Times reports. And although Trump hasn't singled India out specifically, Indian officials are already fretting about his promises to tighten American immigration policies.
"Modi wants to get as much as he can out of Obama's last months in office," said Ashley J. Tellis, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Among the forthcoming agreements, Modi is expected to formally announce that India will comply with the Paris climate change agreement. The pact is only binding once countries representing 55 percent of global emissions comply, and the addition of India will guarantee the deal goes into effect before the next U.S. president takes office. Trump, however, has sworn he will "cancel" the Paris agreement, despite the fact that once the accord is legalized, no nation can withdraw for four years.
"If the Paris agreement achieves ratification before Inauguration Day, it would be impossible for the Trump administration to renegotiate or even drop out during the first presidential term," Harvard environmental economics director Robert N. Stavins said.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media
-
Trump pardons Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery
speed read Former sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on federal bribery and fraud charges
-
Germany lifts Kyiv missile limits as Trump, Putin spar
speed read Russia's biggest drone and missile attacks of the war prompted Trump to post that Putin 'has gone absolutely CRAZY!'
-
Tied Supreme Court blocks church charter school
speed read The court upheld the Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision to bar overtly religious public charter schools
-
GOP megabill would limit judicial oversight of Trump
speed read The domestic policy bill Republicans pushed through the House would protect the Trump administration from the consequences of violating court orders