President Donald Trump celebrated Diwali at the Oval Office in the White House on October 21, 2025, emphasizing the festival’s message of light and renewal while recognizing the contributions of Indian American officials in his administration and top business leaders to the strengthening of US-India relations.

Greeting attendees, President Trump described Diwali as “the beautiful Hindu festival of lights. And that’s what it is. It’s a great festival,” adding that the lighting of the “Diya [traditional lamp]” symbolizes “faith in the victory of light over darkness.”

Reflecting on the spiritual essence of the celebration, he remarked that Diwali represents “knowledge over ignorance and good over evil. The glow of the Diya flame reminds us to seek the path of wisdom and to work with diligence and to always give thanks for our many blessings.”

A Gathering of Distinguished Guests

Among those present were FBI Director Kash Patel, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, and Indian Ambassador to the United States Vinay Kwatra, accompanied by his wife, Pooja Kwatra.

The event also brought together top business leaders including IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora, and White House Senior Policy Advisor for AI Sriram Krishnan. White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, and Deputy Press Secretary, Kush Desai were also present.

Acknowledging the audience, President Trump joked, “We do have many blessings. Everybody in this room has many blessings… media has some good blessings,” noting humorously that journalists no longer have to “stand in the mud” at the Rose Garden thanks to the installation of a “beautiful stone surface.”

Remarks on India, Trade, and Global Relations

On behalf of the American people, President Trump extended Diwali greetings to India, sharing, “I just spoke to your Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] today. We had a great conversation. We talked about trade. We talked about a lot of things, but mostly the world of trade. He’s very interested in that.”

He further noted that he and Prime Minister Modi had discussed peace in South Asia, remarking, “We have no war with Pakistan and India. That was a very good thing. But he’s a great person, and he’s become a great friend of mine over the years.”

The President highlighted his administration’s economic achievements, stating, “This country was a dead country, and now we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world,” citing more than $17 trillion in investments pouring into the United States this year, projected to exceed $20 trillion by year’s end.

Addressing tariffs, he reiterated his policy that “if companies build in the United States, they don’t have to pay tariffs and if they don’t, they have to pay tariffs.” He added, “The economy is roaring, the incomes are rising, and small business confidence is at the highest level in over a decade… Gasoline prices are way down. Grocery prices are way down. Energy prices are way down. Mortgage rates are down.”

On immigration and foreign policy, President Trump asserted, “Our border is secure, totally secure,” noting that “nobody crossed over to the United States illegally in the last four months.” Turning to the Middle East peace deal, he warned Hamas to adhere to its commitments: “If they don’t honor the deal, they’ll be taken care of very quickly.”

Leaders Express Gratitude and Vision

Following his remarks, President Trump invited guests to share their thoughts, quipping, “You’re on international television, so don’t get nervous.”

FBI Director Patel expressed appreciation, saying, “It’s an honor to be a first generation Indian American whose parents lawfully immigrated to this country. Under your leadership, so many more millions of Americans are living that dream… Indian Americans around the world are thrilled that you are such a profound leader in sharing this diversity with the world.”

IBM CEO Krishna praised the administration’s focus on technology and innovation, observing, “I want to point out people forget often how much public and private partnerships in the United States have managed to boost technology,” citing breakthroughs in semiconductors, space, the internet, and mobile communications.

Adobe CEO Narayen thanked the President for hosting the Diwali celebration, adding, “What you’re doing, Mr. President, to have peace and prosperity and investment in this country is just amazing… we will continue to invest in the US to make sure that we continue to drive innovation.”

Micron CEO Mehrotra emphasized Diwali’s symbolism, saying, “Diwali stands for light, for renewal, and the United States is light to the rest of the world.” He noted that Micron’s $200 billion investment in advanced memory manufacturing would create 19,000 jobs and contribute $1.5 trillion to the U.S. economy.

DNI Gabbard commended President Trump’s leadership in fostering unity, stating, “You are doing today what you have done throughout your time in service—bringing people together from all across the country and all different backgrounds… while it is the celebration of hope and light and renewal, we can never forget that the source of that hope, light, renewal comes from God’s love.”

Ambassador Kwatra expressed gratitude on behalf of the Indian diaspora, saying, “Mr. President, let me start first of all by expressing a deep sense of gratitude opening up White House, your office, your home to mark Diwali, the festival of lights, which is celebrated by the 1/5 of the humanity.” 

He conveyed greetings on behalf of “over 5 million strong Indian diaspora in the US,” wishing that “the light of Diwali continues to shine on your success and on the strength of India-US partnership.”

Assistant AG Dhillon echoed those sentiments, noting, “On this day of Diwali, I say on behalf of the United States Department of Justice that the message of the triumph of good over evil and knowledge over ignorance and justice over injustice is something that your administration is personifying, and it’s a tremendous honor to be part of it.”

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