When it comes to world leaders Donald Trump admires, names like Benjamin Netanyahu, Giorgia Meloni, Narendra Modi, or Emmanuel Macron might come to mind. But according to Trump, the leader who truly won his heart is someone else.
The US President recently grabbed headlines after saying that he and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi ‘fell deeply in love’ when they first met during the 2016 US presidential campaign, bringing their long-standing personal rapport back into focus.
Trump made the remarks after meeting El-Sisi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. Calling the Egyptian leader a friend “from day one”, Trump fondly recalled their first encounter and said the two shared “great chemistry”, adding that he even spent more time with El-Sisi than originally planned.
Trump recalls his first meeting with El-Sisi
Trump said he first met Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in 2016 when he was campaigning against Hillary Clinton.
According to Trump, El-Sisi predicted his victory in the election and was confident that he would become the next US president.
“We fell in love, deeply in love,” Trump said while recalling their first meeting, adding that the Egyptian leader did not want to meet Hillary Clinton because he believed Trump would win.
Who is Abdel Fattah El-Sisi?
Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, 71, has been Egypt’s President since 2014.
Before entering politics, he had a long career in the military. He served as head of military intelligence and later became the country’s defence minister.
In 2013, El-Sisi led the military action that removed Egypt’s first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, from power. A year later, he became President of Egypt.
Why does Donald Trump admire El-Sisi?
Trump has consistently praised El-Sisi’s leadership style and often described him as a stabilising force in the Middle East.
During a bilateral meeting in France in 2019, Trump referred to El-Sisi as a longtime friend and praised Egypt’s role in regional affairs.
More recently, Trump thanked the Egyptian President for his friendship and appreciated Egypt’s role in negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza.
El-Sisi among world leaders Trump shares a close bond with
El-Sisi is one of several leaders with whom Trump has publicly expressed a strong personal rapport.
The US President has also spoken warmly about Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump had earlier said that he “fell in love” with Kim Jong Un after exchanging letters with him.
Read Also: Trump’s dramatic U-turn on Iran? Hours after MoU, US President says ‘it’s okay’ for Tehran to have some ballistic missiles
First published on: Jun 18, 2026 08:38 PM IST
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Navya Dubey
Navya Dubey is a Sub-Editor at News 24 with two years of experience in journalism. Passionate about storytelling and reporting, she covers a wide range of topics including politics, crime, general news, and breaking stories. She also takes a keen interest in trending and viral content, bringing readers engaging and thought-provoking stories that capture public interest.
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