President Donald Trump participated in festivities at the White House on Tuesday, October 21, connecting the national recognition of the festival to broader US-India relations in his speech. He extended his warmest greetings to the people of India and Indian Americans on the occasion.
During his remarks, President Trump praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “great person” and a “great friend,” while highlighting US-India ties in trade and regional peace. He noted, “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… Although we did talk a little while ago about let’s have no wars with Pakistan. The fact that trade was involved, I was able to talk about that. And we have no war with Pakistan and India. That was a very, very good thing.” He added, “He’s a great person, and he’s become
a great friend of mine over the years.”
Highlighting the symbolic importance of Diwali, President Trump said, “In a few moments, we’ll light the diya as a symbol of faith in the victory of light over darkness… It’s knowledge over ignorance and good over evil. During Diwali, the revellers recall ancient stories of enemies defeated, obstacles removed, and captives freed.” He further added that the diya’s flame reminds everyone “to seek the path of wisdom and to work with diligence and to always give thanks for our many blessings.”
Following his remarks, Trump lit the diyas to celebrate the festival at the White House. The event was attended by senior officials from the Trump Administration, 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.
Among the business leaders present at the White House Diwali were IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora, South Asian Herald reported.
Some of the guests attending the event also addressed the gathering when President Trump invited them to speak. South Asian Herald quoted FBI Director Patel saying, “It’s an honor to be a first generation Indian American whose parents lawfully immigrated to this country. Under your leadership, so many more millions of Americans are living that dream… Indian Americans around the world are thrilled that you are such a profound leader in sharing this diversity with the world.”
The CEOs present lauded Trump’s policies, dwelt on public-private partnership which has encouraged innovation, and noted how their companies were creating jobs and investing in the economy. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, as well as Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard also made brief remarks praising Trump.
Ambassador Kwatra, on Wednesday posted on X, “Deeply honoured to join President Donald J. Trump at the White House today to celebrate Diwali. Wished him on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi a Happy Diwali and thanked him for this beautiful gesture. Warm Diwali greetings to all celebrating, especially the vibrant 5-million-strong Indian diaspora in the U.S.”
US Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois, and Brian Fitzpatrick introduced a bipartisan resolution in the US House of Representatives to recognize the religious and historical significance of Diwali.
According to a press release from Krishnamoorthi, the resolution honors Diwali’s cultural, spiritual, and historical significance to over three million Indian-Americans, including Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs. It reflects the growing recognition of the Indian diaspora’s contributions to the US.
A Diwali celebration was also held on Capitol Hill where several Senators and Representatives attended and spoke, not only about the Festival of Lights but also on other issues troubling US-India relations, such as the H-1B visa fees, pending trade deal, and the tariffs on India.
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