On January 20, the United States of America welcomed its 47th President, Donald J. Trump, in a momentous inauguration ceremony. External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar was prominently seated in the front row at the event in Washington. However, opposition supporters and left-leaning groups in India used the occasion to spread misinformation, implying that the Government of India was not warmly received at the ceremony. In this context, a video clip has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter), accompanied by posts claiming that Dr. S. Jaishankar was asked to leave the inauguration ceremony midway.
Rishi Chaudhary claimed, ‘It’s truly shameful that the authorities demanded EAM S. Jaishankar’s removal from the show. As an Indian, I am deeply hurt and strongly condemn this act. The Indian government must take notice and appropriate action should be taken.’
It’s truly shameful that the authorities demanded EAM S. Jaishankar’s removal from the show.
— Rishi Choudhary 🇮🇳 (@RishiRahar) January 21, 2025
As an Indian, I am deeply hurt and strongly condemn this act.
The Indian government must take notice and appropriate action should be taken. pic.twitter.com/IEGjaqDb2J
Veena Jain asserted, ‘All Indians must be thankful to S. Jaishankar for ensuring Modi didn’t receive an invitation to attend Trump inauguration. Just imagine the embarrassing moments Modi might have created trying to steal the camera’s focus!’
All Indians must be thankful to S. Jaishankar for ensuring Modi didn't receive an invitation to attend Trump inauguration
— Veena Jain (@DrJain21) January 21, 2025
Just imagine the embarrassing moments Modi might have created trying to steal the camera's focus! 🙌#TrumpInauguration2025 pic.twitter.com/LYoelQazhd
Kaleidoscope stated, ‘What a shame! Authorities demanding S. Jaishankar to leave the show.’
What a shame! Authorities demanding S. Jaishankar to leave the show.pic.twitter.com/Mc6E8Kqaaw
— Kaleidoscope (@kaleidoscopeic) January 21, 2025
Yasar Shah and Balachandran Visawaram shared a similar claim.
Fact Check
We began our fact-checking process by closely examining the video of the inauguration ceremony. We referred to the video shared by The White House. At the 32-minute the U.S. Army chorus began performing a song following Donald Trump’s oath of office.
After 34 minutes 40 seconds in the video, a blonde-haired woman is seen approaching a photographer who is capturing images of the ceremony. Since External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar is positioned in the front row, just behind the photographer, it initially appears that the blonde woman might be speaking to him. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes evident that the blonde-haired woman is actually speaking to the photographer, not to Dr. S. Jaishankar.
At the start, the blonde-haired woman pats the photographer on the shoulder before engaging in a conversation with her. Additionally, when the blonde-haired woman speaks to the photographer, Dr. S. Jaishankar remains calm and still, showing no reaction to her words. This suggests that Dr. Jaishankar was not involved in the interaction, further supporting the idea that the blonde-haired woman was not addressing the Indian External Affairs Minister.
After the military chorus performance, Donald Trump began his inauguration speech. Upon reviewing Dr. S. Jaishankar’s X profile, we observed him seated confidently, leaning back with both legs extended straight, attentively watching Donald Trump as he delivered his speech.
A great honour to represent India at the inauguration ceremony of @POTUS President Donald J Trump and @VP Vice President JD Vance in Washington DC today.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 20, 2025
🇮🇳 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/tbmAUbvd1r
Moreover, Dr. S. Jaishankar was seated in the very front row, directly facing Donald Trump, unlike any Western or NATO leader. He shared the front row with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, signifying a significant elevation in official protocol. In contrast, Quad members such as Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong were seated two rows behind from the EAM JaiShankar.
Therefore, the claim that EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar was asked to leave Trump’s inauguration ceremony is false and completely unfounded. In fact, Dr. Jaishankar was given preferential treatment, sitting in the front row alongside the Ecuadorian president. Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Japan and Australia, two other Quad partners, were seated two rows behind him.
| Claim | EAM S. Jaishankar was asked to leave during Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony. |
| Claimed by | Social media users |
| Fact Check | After thorough fact-checking, it is clear that Dr. S. Jaishankar was not asked to leave the ceremony. He was seated in the front row with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, showing a significant level of protocol and respect. |
