US President Donald Trump lit lamps at the White House on Tuesday to mark the festival of Diwali, celebrating the occasion with Indian-American members of his administration and other community figures.A number of senior officials from the Trump Administration were present during the event, including FBI Director Kash Patel, ODNI Director Tulsi Gabbard, White House Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai, Ambassador of India to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Ambassador of the US to India Sergio Gor. A delegation of prominent Indian-American business leaders also attended the ceremony, reflecting the growing engagement of the Indian diaspora in US-India ties.
Trump joins Diwali celebration at the White House
— RT (@RT_com) October 21, 2025
‘Yeah, if you want’ — he says before lighting the diya
Crowd erupts in applause https://t.co/bP9wNC9j7g pic.twitter.com/0GEh2EueeN
Earlier, Trump said that he spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi focused primarily on trade issues. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said, "We talked about a lot of things, but mostly the world of trade." He also repeated that India would not be purchasing significant quantities of Russian oil in the future. He praised Modi as "a great person" and "a great friend," recalling his years-long relationship with the PM Modi.
#WATCH | Washington, DC | On the occassion of Diwali, US President Donald Trump says, "Let me extend our warmest wishes to the people of India. I just spoke to your Prime Minister today. Had a great conversation. We talked about trade... He's very interested in that. Although we… pic.twitter.com/xqQeNKnIpq
— ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2025
Talking about the China tariff situation, he said, "... Right now, as of November 1st, China will have about 155% tariffs put on it. I don't think it's sustainable for them. I want to be nice to China. But China has been very rough with us over the years because we had presidents that weren't smart from a business standpoint." He also addressed the Middle East situation and said, "We are forging peace all over the world... We're getting everybody to get along. I just got a call from the Middle East. We're doing very well there. We have many countries signed on to peace in the Middle East, and nobody thought they'd ever see that happening.
Related Items
Putin-Trump summit on hold after Russia rejects ceasefire
Demolition work begins on White House East Wing for Trump's ballroom
Still has chance to behave, Trump warns Hamas over Gaza deal