US President Donald Trump has sparked fury in India by labelling the world’s most populous country a “hellhole”. Mr Trump shared a four-page transcript of the comments made by podcaster Michael Savage on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, in which Mr Savage accused people from India and China of abusing America’s birthright citizenship. “A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring the entire family in from China or India or some other hellhole on the planet,” it read.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Indian foreign ministry, condemned the remarks as “obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste”. Without commenting on Mr Trump’s amplification of the incendiary language, he added: “They certainly do not reflect the reality of the India-US relationship, which has long been based on mutual respect and shared interests.”
The post also caused anger within India, with the main opposition Congress party labelling it “extremely insulting and anti-Indian”.
The Hindu American Foundation similarly condemned the comments, warning Mr Trump that they amounted to “hateful, racist screed targeting Indian and Chinese Americans.”
“Endorsing such rants as the president of the United States will further stoke hatred and endanger our communities at a time when xenophobia and racism are already at an all-time high,” a spokesperson said.
“We ask Donald Trump to reconsider, delete this post and recognise the indelible contributions of Asian Americans to our great country.”
It comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Delhi, after Mr Trump imposed some of his highest tariffs on India and put pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop buying Russian oil, arguing that it was aiding Moscow’s operations in Ukraine.
The US president’s second term has also been defined by a crackdown on immigration, including criticism of the H-1B visa scheme, which brings skilled workers to the US, many of them Indian nationals.
His post also precedes Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s first visit to India in May, as the two countries seek to reset relations following strain linked to US tariff policies.
