Trump says PM Modi 'is a beautiful man', then mimics him

Miffed with the high import duty imposed by India on the Harley-Davidson motorbikes, United States President Donald Trump yet again imitated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sans the Indian accent, this time.

The high import duty on Harley-Davidson bikes has been a sore spot for the US president, who reiterated his displeasure, saying the US was “getting nothing” out of the recent tariff cut from 100 per cent to 50 per cent.

“Now, the prime minister, who I think is a fantastic man, called me the other day and said we are lowering it to 50 per cent. I said okay, but so far we’re getting nothing,” Trump said to a gathering of governors of all the states at the White House.

Trump then went on to imitate Prime Minister Modi by folding his hands and taking on a soft and serious tone, “He said it beautifully, he is a beautiful man and he said I just want to inform you that we have reduced it to 75 and we have further reduced it to 50. And I further said, huh, what do I say? Am I supposed to be thrilled?”

He said the US gets “zero” when it buys an Indian motorcycle.

“So when they have a motorbike -- a big number, by the way -- they have a company that does a lot of business. They have a motorcycle or a motorbike that comes into our country -- the number is zero. We get zero. They get 100 per cent, brought down to 75; brought down, now, to 50. Okay,” Trump said.

This is for the second time in a month that Trump raised the issue of high import duty on motorcycles by India.

Earlier, he had called it “unfair” and threatened to increase the tariff on import of Indian motorcycles to the US.

Earlier in January, US media reported that Trump is known to affect an Indian accent and imitate Prime Minister Modi.

-- With inputs from PTI