'Good Morning Indiamerica': How major English newspapers in India and Pak covered Trump's visit

Reports on Trump stood cheek by jowl with the violence in Delhi.

WrittenBy:NL Team
Date:
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Donald Trump landed in India yesterday, first heading to Ahmedabad where he visited the Sabarmati ashram and then Motera stadium, for the "Namaste Trump" event. The president of the United States later visited the Taj Mahal and then flew to Delhi. He's scheduled to sit down with President Ram Nath Kovind and Narendra Modi today.

The media coverage of Trump's visit throughout the day was non-stop, even as violence simultaneously engulfed Delhi, leaving a reported five dead.

So, how did this morning's newspapers cover what happened yesterday? We looked at four major English newspapers.

Indian Express had Delhi's violence as the second story on the front page, the main headline screaming "Good Morning Indiamerica".

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The story said Trump was "accorded a colourful welcome in Ahmedabad where thousands lined the streets and packed the stadium in Motera on a hot afternoon to cheer him at the Namaste Trump event..."

The Hindu gave nearly equal space to Delhi's violence and Trump's visit. The lead story on Trump was headlined "Donald Trump calls Modi a ‘true friend’, lavishes praise on PM". It said Trump's "lavish praise...reflected the bonhomie shared by the two leaders."

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It quoted Trump as saying: "“Prime Minister Modi, you are not just the pride of Gujarat. You are living proof that with hard work and devotion Indians can accomplish anything, anything at all, anything they want."

The Telegraph acknowledged Trump on its front page in the briefest way possible, focusing instead on how "protected thugs" roamed Delhi yesterday.

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"Donald Trump landed in a Delhi whose peripheries smouldered with violent disorder on Monday," the main story on the front page began. The coverage of the Trump visit itself was relegated to Page 6.

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The Delhi edition of The Times of India had a flap on the Delhi violence and handed over most of its front page to Donald Trump.

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"Modi-Trump Hug Gets Tighter", the headline said, while a smaller piece told readers that "love will be in the air tonight" during a dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan. These details really stand out: the playlist at the dinner will apparently include Eric Clapton's Wonderful Tonight, Elton John's Can You Feel The Love Tonight, and Rod Stewart's Have I Told You Lately That I Love You.

Hindustan Times said Modi and Trump "effusively praised each other" at the stadium event. "n

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"The Indian side pulled out all the stops in according a rapturous welcome to the US President, with tens of thousands of people lining the roads as he drove from the airport to Sabarmati Ashram and then to Motera Stadium."

As a bonus, we also looked at a handful of English newspapers in Pakistan.

Dawn had a story on its front-page, noting that Trump said his administration "is working in a very positive way with Pakistan", and that the US's relationship with Pakistan is "a very good one".

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Dawn also had a rather scathing editorial on Trump in India. It said Trump and Modi are alike in many ways: "political outsiders", "pushed majoritarian agendas at the expense of minorities", "right-wing populism and maverick ideas". It described the Namaste Trump event as "gaudy and full of cliches".

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The Nation had a small piece on the bottom of the front page, since its main story was on Pakistan "exposing India's claims" about downing an F-16 last year.

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However, most of the piece was about the protests in Delhi. "President Trump’s visit comes at a time when massive protests are taking place across India against PM Modi’s controversial decisions regarding new citizenship laws. No big deals are expected between Washington and New Delhi during Trump’s visit."

Pakistan Observer's lead photograph on the front page was also on Delhi's violence. A side-story on Trump reiterated that Trump had said the US has "very good relations" with Pakistan.

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