Modi and I are world leaders in social media, says Trump

Washington: US President Donald Trump today described Prime Minister Narendra Modi and himself as "world leaders in social media" -- a reference to their multi-million strong following on online platforms -- and said it has enabled them to hear directly from their citizens.

"I'm proud to announce to the media, to the American people and to the Indian people that Prime Minister Modi and I are world leaders in social media," Trump said in his remarks at the White House Rose Garden, following his first bilateral meeting with Modi.

"We're believers. Giving the citizens of our countries the opportunity to hear directly from their elected officials and for us to hear directly from them. I guess it's worked very well in both cases," Trump said.

Trump, who is known for his prolific and at times controversial tweets, and Modi are widely followed on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

While Trump has 32.8 million followers on Twitter, Modi comes a close second with over 31 million followers. On Facebook, Modi has the lead over Trump, who has 23.6 million followers while the Indian leader has 41.8 million followers.