Migration and Trade with India, Trump and Putin Chat, Future of Education Department
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President Trump says India is taking advantage of the U.S. when it comes to tariffs.
The biggest charger of all is India.
He and Prime Minister Modi will meet today in Washington. Will a dispute over trade drive a wedge in their close relationship?
I'm Leila Faldin, that's Michelle Martin, and this is Up First from NPR News. Trump also had a long phone call with Vladimir Putin, and afterwards he said negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will begin immediately.
I think we're on the way to getting peace.
How did the leader of Ukraine respond? And will Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Education work herself out of a job?
I believe abolishing the Department of Education is definitely a big part of the solution.
Senators question Linda McMahon later today. Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with President Trump here in Washington, D.C. today.
In Trump's first term, the two men seem to have a natural camaraderie. But these days, Trump is focused a lot on trade and immigration, two issues that could put a dent in the longstanding relationship between the U.S. and India.
Joining us now to talk more about this is NPR White House correspondent Asma Khalid. Asma, good morning. Good morning. So let's start with trade. We've heard a lot in recent days about tariffs. How does India factor into that?
Well, the president has been talking a lot about reciprocal tariffs. And, Michel, that's the idea that if a foreign country charges, say, a 20 percent tariff on U.S. imports, then the U.S. ought to slap a 20 percent tariff back on them. Trump was actually talking about this idea even months ago during his campaign last fall. He accused India of being a, quote, big abuser of tariffs. Take a listen.
The biggest charger of all is India. India is a very big charger. We have a great relationship with India, I did, and with especially the leader, Modi.
And so as you notice there, despite the accusations he's making about India on trade, you know, Trump has a really fond relationship with India's leader. He had a very warm personal relationship with him. And Modi quite literally and famously gave Trump a bear hug when they two first met at the White House. And, you know, they're known to have similar populist styles. They went on to host these joint mega rallies together, first in Texas and then later in India with tenors. tens of thousands of supporters.
So if India has high tariffs on U.S. imports and Trump, as you say, as he certainly says repeatedly, wants more fair, what he considers more fair trading relationships, what is the room for negotiation there?
Well, trade is certainly the number one priority for the Trump administration in this relationship. The U.S. is in a trade deficit with India. Ahead of this visit, India announced that it was lowering tariffs on motorbikes. And that opens the door for more exports of Harley-Davidson's, which is something that has been important to President Trump. Lisa Curtis was in Trump's National Security Council during his first term. She told me that Prime Minister Modi understands Trump and he's also offering to increase imports of American oil and gas to avoid a broader fight over trade issues. But she also knows from experience that India is a tough negotiator.
I think there's a greater risk. that a failed trade negotiation this time around could really sour the overall U.S.-India relationship. I think the expectations of the Trump team of India are higher.
So Asma, before we let you go, are there other issues that you expect these two leaders to discuss?
Certainly immigration. Illegal immigration is a big priority for Trump. And according to estimates from the Pew Research Center, the third largest group of people in the United States without legal status are actually Indians. Earlier this month, the Trump administration flew a group of Indians back to India on a military plane, and it caused some domestic political backlash for Modi.
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