US Envoy Reveals India Sought to Limit Trump-Modi Press Conference

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has disclosed that India requested the United States avoid a formal press conference after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with President Donald Trump on June 17, 2026, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France. However, according to Gor, Trump initially agreed to the request but later opened the floor to reporters, turning the interaction into a 45-minute press conference.

Speaking at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum on August 24, 2026, Gor recounted a behind-the-scenes conversation with Trump before the bilateral meeting. He said he discussed potential discussion topics and conveyed a specific request from India’s Ministry of External Affairs. “The MEA had one ask. He said, and it was, lets bring in the media, but lets not do a full press conference,” Gor stated. “I told the president, I said, the Indians prefer no questions. He said, sure, no problem.”

The meeting commenced with journalists and approximately 50 cameras in the room. After Modi and Trump delivered their opening statements, Trump turned to the assembled reporters and asked, “Any questions?” Gor said this “opened everything up,” and what followed...