Watch: Trump complains about Harley-Davidson import duties in India, calls Modi 'beautiful man', then mimics him
Follow UsTrump is reported to have mimicked -- not for the first time -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Trump was at the time speaking to a gathering of US governors at the White House at which he brought up -- not for the first time -- the Harley Davidson issue. (Trump had earlier in February complained about the 100% import duty companies in India have to pay on high-end motorcycles.)
"When they (Harley Davidson) send a motorcycle to India, as an example, they have to pay 100 per cent tax -- 100 per cent," PTI reported Trump as saying to the gathering of governors.
"Now, the prime minister, who I think is a fantastic man, called me the other day and said we are lowering it to 50 per cent. I said okay, but so far we're getting nothing. So we get nothing. He gets 50 (per cent), and they think we're doing -- like they're doing us a favour. That's not a favour," he said.
Trump then, ANI reported, went on to fold his hands, take on a soft and serious tone, and say: "He said it beautifully, he is a beautiful man and he said I just want to inform you that we have reduced it to 75 and we have further reduced it to 50. And I further said, huh, what do I say? Am I supposed to be thrilled?"
Trump, while taking on the soft and serious tone, is thought to have been imitating Modi.
It is not the first time Trump is thought to have done so.
In January this year too Trump was reported to have mimicked Modi and his accent.
Back then, Trump was reported to have mimicked Modi as telling him, "Never has a country given so much away for so little in return." (The reference was to US troop deployment in Afghanistan.)
This time Trump did not copy Modi's accent.