US Envoy Says Trump Forgot India's No-Questions Request During G7 Meeting

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has said that President Donald Trump forgot an agreement with India to keep the media interaction during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G7 summit free of questions. Gor made the remarks while speaking at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum in New Delhi, describing how officials had agreed on a limited media format ahead of the leaders’ meeting. According to the envoy, journalists were expected to be present to record the opening statements by the two leaders, but they were not supposed to ask questions during the interaction.

Gor said India’s Ministry of External Affairs had specifically requested the “no-questions” format before the meeting. Trump, according to the envoy, had initially agreed to the arrangement. The plan was intended to allow the media to capture the opening remarks before the leaders continued their discussions privately. Such arrangements are common during high-level diplomatic meetings, where governments often agree in advance on the extent of media access and whether journalists will be allowed to pose questions.

However, the plan changed after Modi and Trump completed their opening statements, Gor recalled. Trump reportedly turned towards the assembled cameras and asked, “Any questions?” The US envoy said the president appeared to have forgotten the earlier understanding with the Indian side. What was expected to be a short media opportunity consequently developed into a much longer interaction, with the session continuing for around 45 minutes.

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Gor’s account provides an insight into the preparations and media protocols surrounding meetings between the Indian and US leadership. The episode also highlights Trump’s well-known tendency to engage directly with journalists and depart from previously agreed formats. While the Indian side had sought to limit the interaction to opening remarks, the US president’s invitation for questions effectively changed the nature of the media session.

Prime Minister Modi met Trump on June 17 on the sidelines of the G7 summit in eastern France. The meeting took place against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where the safety of Indian nationals and commercial shipping had emerged as a concern. During the discussions, Modi raised issues related to the safety of Indian seafarers operating in the conflict-affected region, particularly after three Indian mariners were killed when a commercial vessel came under attack by the US Navy.

The remarks by Gor have not been accompanied by an official response from the Indian government regarding the reported request for a no-questions format. The account nevertheless sheds light on an unusual moment during a high-level India-US engagement and illustrates how arrangements for diplomatic media interactions can change unexpectedly. The incident also underlines the importance of carefully coordinated protocols when leaders meet in the presence of international media.

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