‘Sundar is his name’: Donald Trump calls Pichai a ‘monster’; Google CEO has a witty comeback

Donald Trump called Google CEO Sundar Pichai a “monster” while addressing reporters at a White House meeting on frontier AI. Pichai responded with a joke, saying he hoped it would be a “better tagline” than being called a monster.

US President Donald Trump’s unusual description of Google CEO Sundar Pichai as a “monster” has drawn attention after a video of the exchange surfaced online.

The interaction took place during a White House meeting on Tuesday involving some of the biggest names in the global technology industry, with discussions centred on the development of frontier artificial intelligence.

What did Trump say about Sundar Pichai?

During an interaction with reporters, Trump turned to Pichai and asked, “Sundar, you want to say something?”

Quick answers to key questions

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QUESTIONS

Donald Trump referred to Sundar Pichai as a 'monster' during a White House meeting with technology executives.

Sundar Pichai responded with humor, jokingly saying, 'Hopefully a better tagline than I’m a monster!' which prompted laughter in the room.

The meeting aimed to discuss responsibilities for technology companies in developing frontier artificial intelligence and included prominent tech leaders from major companies.

The tech companies agreed to implement robust internal controls, partner with independent auditors, and develop safety measures for their AI systems to prevent unintended access or harm.

Trump's administration has replaced 'artificial intelligence' with 'super intelligence' to reflect a reassessed understanding of the technology's capabilities and implications.

As the Google CEO began, “First of all, thanks…”, Trump interrupted him and continued praising him.

“This guy is a monster, and nobody knows him. What a great life! To be a monster and not have to go through this. All you have to know is - SUNDARR! Sundar is his name,” Trump said.

Pichai responded to the unusual description with a joke.

“Hopefully a better tagline than I’m a monster!” Pichai said, prompting laughter from people around them.

Social media reacts to Trump’s ‘monster’ comment

The exchange quickly drew reactions on social media, with users commenting on Trump's choice of words and the reactions of those present.

One user wrote, "Another signature trump backhanded compliment lol"

Another user wrote, “wow zoom into all of the background people’s faces and watch each time he starts saying Sundar is a monster. Each face tells an interesting story.”

A third user wrote, "BUAHHAHA nobody knows him. Because Trump doesn't know him, so he assumes no one else does,"

Sundar Pichai, Zuckerberg, Musk among tech leaders at White House

The exchange came during a White House meeting convened by Trump to discuss responsibilities for technology companies developing frontier AI.

The meeting brought together several prominent technology executives, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Greg Brockman of OpenAI, Elon Musk, CEO of xAI, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

The discussions also focused on “Super-Intelligence”, a new term referenced in the context of the development of increasingly advanced AI systems.

The gathering comes as major technology companies continue to invest in frontier AI and debate how companies developing the technology should approach its development and responsibilities.

About the Author

Anjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour.<br><br> Before joining Mint, she was Deputy News Editor at NDTV.com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. She has also worked as Chief Sub-Editor at India.com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture.<br><br> Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.

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