April 24, 2024

Trump heads to India, where massive rally and Taj Mahal visit await: What to know

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President Trump is headed to India for a huge rally with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a visit meant to highlight the relationship between two countries that have become strategic allies in recent years.Trump may address the largest crowd he ever has on Monday before he and members of his administration attend a set of Tuesday meetings, concluding with a state dinner.Here’s what we know about Trump’s trip to India:He may address a crowd of about 110,000 at his Monday rally
Sardar Patel Stadium, newly renovated to hold over 100,000 people, will host President Trump and Prime Minister Modi on Monday.
(Getty)INDIA WANTS TO ELIMINATE TAJ MAHAL AREA’S ‘FOUL SMELL’ AHEAD OF TRUMP VISITThe Trump-Modi rally on Monday will be the first event in the newly renovated Sardar Patel Stadium, the largest cricket stadium in the world, with a capacity of about 110,000, according to the Times of India. That is approximately the size of some of the largest college football stadiums in the United States.The rally, named “Namaste, Trump,” is a sequel to the “Howdy, Modi” rally Trump and the prime minister attended in Houston last September.With little in the way of official proclamations expected to come from Trump’s excursion to the subcontinent, the rally will likely be the highlight of the trip, with Trump taking advantage of the chance to speak before a large, adoring crowd in another country.Trump and First Lady Melania are joined by a 12-person delegationThe president, who is joined by his wife Melania on the India visit, will also bring a 12-person official delegation, including some of the highest-ranking economic and foreign policy officials in his administration:TRUMP SAYS SANDERS WILL BE DEM NOMINEE ‘UNLESS THEY CHEAT HIM’U.S. Ambassador to India Kenneth I. JusterCommerce Secretary Wilbur RossEnergy Secretary Dan BrouilletteChief of Staff Mick MulvaneyNational Security Adviser Robert O’BrienAdviser to the President Ivanka TrumpSenior Adviser Jared Kushner Senior Adviser Stephen MillerWhite House Social Media Director Dan ScavinoChief of Staff to the First Lady Lindsay ReynoldsSpecial Representative for International Telecommunications Policy Robert BlairPress Secretary Stephanie GrishamFCC Chairman Ajit Pai and National Security Council members Lisa Curtis and Kash Patel are also slated to attend bilateral meetings during the trip.
A man takes a selfie with portraits of U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi painted on a wall ahead of Trump’s visit, in Ahmadabad, India, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. Trump is scheduled to visit the city during his Feb. 24-25 India trip. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
It’s unclear if there will be any big policy announcementsTrump and Modi are likely to discuss trade barriers between the two nations, the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, barriers making it difficult for Muslims to become Indian citizens and more.Specifically, both countries think there is room to grow on energy. They will also talk about national defense and security concerns.But despite the lack of worked out consensus between the U.S. and India on multiple issues, which they will discuss in several meetings, the two nations share strategic goals that make them optimistic they can align. Both nations wish to contain Chinese expansionism, crack down on Islamic terrorism and maintain peace between India and Pakistan.Trump will visit one of the most important Indian cultural landmarks
Tourists visit India’s famed monument of love, the Taj Mahal, in Agra, India, Thursday, March 22, 2018. The 17th century white marble monument is India’s biggest tourist draw, with about 3 million visiting every year. (AP Photo/R.S. Iyer)
(AP Photo/R.S. Iyer​​​​​​)TRUMP TWEETS PRAISE FOR BOLLYWOOD ROMCOM FEATURING SAME-SEX COUPLE ON EVE OF INDIA VISITFollowing the “Namaste, Trump” rally in the state of Gujarat, Trump will visit the Taj Mahal in Utter Pradesh.Completed in 1648 as a memorial by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to his wife, according to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the Taj Mahal is “considered to be the greatest architectural achievement in the whole range of Indo-Islamic architecture.”India has been cleaning up its streets and rivers ahead of Trump’s visitCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe city of Agra, where the Taj Mahal is located, is releasing 17 million liters of water into a nearby river to wash away the foul smell coming from the body of water, according to Reuters. Reuters also spotted workers scrubbing the walls and fountains of the Taj Mahal.Additionally, a hastily built 1,640-foot brick wall in front of a slum in Gujarat, which Trump will drive by on his way to the “Namaste, Trump” rally, is meant to block the president’s view of the desolate area.Fox News’ Greg Norman, Stephen Sorace and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 
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