"I am proud to announce to the media, to the American people and to the Indian people that Prime Minister Modi and I are world leaders in social media. We're believers," Trump said during the two leaders' joint statement at the White House Rose Garden.
"Giving the citizens of our countries the opportunity to hear directly from their elected officials and for us to hear directly from them," Trump commented. "I guess it's worked very well in both cases."
According to TPM.com, a White House official reminded reporters that Trump and Modi have more social media followers than any other world leaders. Trump has about 32.9 million followers on his personal Twitter account, and Modi is only slightly behind with 31 million followers, according to CNN.
"I have been speaking with him and reading about him," Trump said. "He is doing a great job. Economically, India is doing very well and in so many other ways. I would like to congratulate him for this."
"I have always had a deep admiration for your country and your people, the rich culture and traditions," Trump added, addressing his counterpart.
The meeting did not come without its share of awkwardness, though, as several outlets noted that Modi's trademark hug didn't quite land perfectly, eliciting an awkward reaction from POTUS.
This was Modi's first visit to the White House since Trump's inauguration in January. The two leaders discussed relations between their countries and pledged to work together to tackle terrorism and pursue future business opportunities.
