WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump on Sunday tried to lure US Indians, many of whom support the Democratic Party, at a rally in honor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a fierce nationalist defender.
He gave the gathering the character of an election meeting, comparing the wave of immigration towards the Mexican border with the tension between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.
"Border security is vital for the United States," he said to applause from the crowd. "Border security is vital to India. I understand that very well."
They also greeted Trump's promise to continue "protecting innocent civilians from the threat of extremist terrorism."
"We will take care of our Indian citizens before we take care of illegal immigrants who want to invade our country," Bush said.
Fourteen months before the presidential election, Trump is seeking to shine his image in Houston, one of America's most ethnically mixed cities and where the Democratic Party has considerable influence.
Moody, who is in the United States on the occasion of the UN General Assembly, praised the US president as "friendly and wise."
The Indian community in the United States held the rally at a stadium in Houston, and was considered the biggest celebration for a foreign official in the United States, after the Pope's celebrations.
Trump's presence was unusual. US presidents joining gatherings honoring foreign leaders are rare.
About four million Indians are in the United States and usually support the Democratic Party. Eighty percent of them voted in 2016 for Hillary Clinton.