Subject: Out of town pool report #2 — welcome ceremony
PM Modi’s motorcade pulled in at 9:54 a.m. local. He stepped out of a black BMW, walked over and stood on the red carpet beneath the canopy facing the palace. The president of India, Ram Nath Kovind, arrived moments later and he took a seat beside Modi.
Cannons sounded at 10:02 heralding POTUS’s arrival, as the motorcade pulled in the main gates to the palace, led by an Indian mounted guard, bayonet carrying soldiers on brown horses wearing long red coats and blue and gold turbans.
Modi appeared to go greet POTUS as he stepped out of the car (slightly out of view of the pool) and led FLOTUS, in a white dress and red belt, to a seat beneath the canopy. POTUS, in a dark suit and red tie, walked to the center of the infield and stood alone on a reviewing platform under a square canopy, hand on his heart, while the band played the Star Spangled Banner, followed by the Indian national anthem.
After twice saluting a lead general who’d been yelling marching orders, Trump walked alone down the red carpet to the far side of the palace facade and then turned back, passing by the line of soldiers as the military band played another song. Then he turned back toward the official delegation, shaking hands first with the president and then PM Modi. Then he made his way down the line, shaking hands with the Indian officials seated up the row from the U.S. delegation.
He continued through, with the Indian president ahead of him, shaking hands with his own staff, daughter and son in law. Then they turned back towards their vehicles.
We are hustling back to vans to head to the next event at 10:14. Rolling now.
Pregame notes:
The official WH party arrived around 9:35 — Wilbur Ross, Stephanie Grisham, Robert O’Brien, Emma Doyle, Ambassador Kenneth Juster, Dan Scavino and Stephen Miller. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner walked in a moment later. There appeared to be some gramming happening on the red carpet before things got started.
Then a long procession of military marchers, grouped by uniform color — first baby blue, then white, then olive green — entered with a band playing behind them and then stood at attention in front of the presidential palace.
Supplemental Pool Report #2
New Delhi
February 25, 2020
The motorcade arrived at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 9:59 am local time for the welcome ceremony after an uneventful drive through the eerily empty streets and rotaries of New Delhi with no one lining the route other than the usual troops facing away from the road. Scores of “Welcome” posters featuring images of POTUS and FLOTUS were mounted on light poles. At the palace, his vehicle was greeted by red-uniformed guards on horseback. We now hand back to your regular pool for the day.
Peter Baker
NY Times