President Trump departed the White House Sunday for a two-day visit to India, where he hopes to ink a new trade deal, firm up military ties with the world’s largest democracy — and hold his largest rally ever.
The trip, Trump’s first to India, is expected to give the president his biggest live audience when he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi address a massive crowd Monday at Sardar Patel Stadium, the country’s new cricket grounds.
“We’re going to have millions and millions of people,” Trump told reporters before heading off Sunday morning.
“I hear it’s going to be a big event. Some people say the biggest event they’ve ever had in India. That’s what the prime minister told me, this will be the biggest event they’ve ever had.”
The stadium in Ahmedabad holds 100,000, but Trump said to reporters earlier this week that Modi had told him “we’ll have 7 million people between the airport and the event.”
The president and First Lady Melania Trump will also visit the Taj Mahal and be treated to a ritzy state dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the country’s presidential palace.
He will also be accompanied by daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner and US Ambassador to India Ken Juster.
The trip will include serious business for Trump, who wants to sign a new trade agreement with India, which boasts the world’s fifth-largest economy.
White House officials said two-way trade between the two countries topped $142 billion in 2018, but added that “there’s certainly much more room to grow.”
The president will also talk military might with Modi and is expected to announce a $3.5 billion sale of US helicopters and other military equipment during the visit.
In a statement ahead of the visit, the White House called India “a pillar of our Indo-Pacific strategy” in the region.
“We will focus on defense and security cooperations to both fight terrorism and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific,” administration officials said in a briefing.
“The US wants an India that is strong, with a capable military that supports peace, stability, and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Trump is due to land at Ramstein Air Base in Germany Sunday and depart for Ahmedabad shortly before midnight.
They will remain in India and travel to New Delhi on Tuesday, officials.
The president’s itinerary for Tuesday has not been released.
With Post wires
