He was pretty tough on China: Ex-diplomat Navtej Sarna on Trump's return

Former Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna, on Wednesday shared insights into the potential implications of Donald Trump's return to the US presidency, highlighting how Trump's policies may shape global and US-India relations.

Reflecting on Trump's political journey, Sarna emphasised the remarkable political journey of Donald Trump as a candidate who once served as a President, then lost, and has now made a dramatic return to the race.

Speaking to ANI, Former Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna said that not only did Donald Trump win the Electoral College, but he has also won the popular vote. We've seen four years of his presidency and he was pretty tough on China in his tenure.  Find special coverage on US Presidential Elections here

"The race doesn't look as close as the polls had shown. Not only has he (Donald Trump) won the Electoral College, he's also won the popular vote. He will go into the White House. We've seen four years of his presidency. He was pretty tough on China in his first tenure," he said.

Navtej Sarna further stated that Trump's presidency marked China as the primary strategic competitor for the US, while Trump also fostered a strong personal rapport with PM Modi, holding a consistently favourable view of India. Trump always had a very positive view of India.

"It was during the Trump presidency that China was recognized as the major strategic competitor for the United States. With Russia, everybody expects that he will have a better relationship with President Putin. In the Middle East, we can only hope that things can get better. They (PM Modi and Donald Trump) have met several times during the Trump presidency. It will be much easier than the first term when they were just getting to know and know each other. Personal chemistry between the leaders plays a major impact. President Trump has a very positive view of India," he added.

Meanwhile, Trump has well above the 270 threshold electoral college votes needed to win the presidency.

This is only the second instance and the first in over 100 years of a leader winning the presidency after losing once. Grover Cleveland served as non-consecutive president in 1884 and 1892.

In his address, Trump expressed gratitude to the people and said he won't rest until he delivers a "strong, safe and prosperous America.