President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi once embodied the kind of leader-to-leader chemistry that reshapes alliances. From massive diaspora rallies to mutual praise during crises, their “bromance” propelled US-India ties to new heights between 2017 and 2020. Yet by early 2026, that warmth had curdled into tariffs, public sniping, and a trade war that’s left both nations scrambling for footing. What began as a personal triumph for strategic partnership devolved into a cautionary tale of ego, economics, and geopolitics clashing head-on.
