US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on Monday evening landed at the Agra airport ahead of their much-anticipated visit to the iconic Taj Mahal(Agra,UP). Addressing a crowd at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad (Gujarat) earlier, Trump said the US will "always be a faithful and loyal friend to the Indian people" as he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a rousing welcome in Gujarat, which included a 22-km roadshow and a jam-packed cricket stadium. Addressing the crowd, Trump said: "Five months ago, the United States welcomed your great Prime Minister at a giant football stadium in Texas and today, India welcomes us at the world's largest cricket stadium right here in Ahmedabad." President Trump arrived in Ahmedabad today for the first leg of his maiden India trip during which he visited Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram, took part in a roadshow with PM Modi. He will later head for Agra to see the iconic Taj Mahal with his wife Melania.
Trump, who is also accompanied by daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and top brass of his administration, will get a taste of India's cultural potpourri during his Gujarat itinerary which is high on symbolism, especially after the bonhomie between the two leaders at the 'Howdy, Modi!' event in Houston during the Indian prime minister's visit to the US in September 2019. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a friend of mine. I had committed to this trip long time back. I will be addressing a big rally," Trump said at the White House.
The US president, who is scheduled to arrive at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International airport at around 11.40am today, will participate along with Modi in roadshows on his way from the airport to Sabarmti Ashram and from there to the newly-built Motera cricket stadium, where over one lakh people are expected to be present for the 'Namaste Trump' event.
Live Update at News18