In a jaw-dropping moment at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, President Donald Trump went off-script again — this time launching into a strange, theatrical impersonation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s accent.
“I’ll tell you what, Prime Minister Modi is the nicest looking guy,” Trump began on Wednesday, setting the scene with what sounded like an odd mix of flattery and bravado. “He looked like someone you’d like to have as your father.”
“He’s a killer. He’s tough as hell,” Trump declared, gesturing emphatically to the crowd before diving into his impromptu impression.
Trump then leaned into the microphone and delivered his version of Modi’s supposed negotiation style: “No, we will fight!” — complete with an exaggerated Indian accent. The room went quiet for a moment before Trump followed it up with his own commentary: “I said, ‘Whoa, is that the same man that I know?’”
Trump then pivoted to bragging about his claimed role in stopping a brief armed conflict between India and Pakistan. “I said I was going to put 250 percent tariffs on each country,” he boasted. “That’s a nice way of saying we don’t want to do business with you… and they understood that and within 48 hours we had no war.”
He couldn’t resist taking a jab at President Joe Biden either. “You think Biden would have done that? I don’t think so. Most people wouldn’t have thought of it, but you know.”
Indian officials, however, have repeatedly denied Trump’s account of having any part in mediating that 2020 skirmish. Sources close to Modi reportedly said the Indian leader grew so tired of Trump’s habit of taking credit for the peace process that he skipped a previous summit altogether.
The bizarre imitation sparked immediate backlash online, with critics calling it disrespectful and tone-deaf. Supporters, meanwhile, shrugged it off as “classic Trump showmanship.” (Watch the clip below.)
Trump does a very unflattering impersonation of Modi pic.twitter.com/MQh3L2vyyV
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 29, 2025
