India is pushing back after US President Trump amplified a radio host’s description of the country as a “hellhole” in a rant about US birthright citizenship. The phrase came from conservative commentator Michael Savage, who on his show argued that children born in the United States to immigrants from countries including China and India become citizens and then bring in all their relatives, per Reuters. Trump posted a transcript of the segment on Truth Social without adding his own remarks.
New Delhi’s response was swift, and sharp. The posted comments were “uninformed, inappropriate, and in poor taste,” an Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, stressing they don’t square with a longtime relationship between the US and India “based on mutual respect and shared interests.” The New York Times notes that the rep’s post didn’t mention Trump by name—it simply noted “our response to media queries regarding a social media post.” India’s opposition Congress party, however, called the wording “extremely insulting” and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lodge a formal protest with Trump, per Reuters.
The US Embassy in New Delhi, meanwhile, pointed to Trump’s past praise of India as “a great country” led by “a very good friend of mine.” The Times notes there are several individuals of either Indian or Chinese descent tied to the Trump administration, including FBI head Kash Patel, White House communications chief Steven Cheung, and Usha Vance, wife of Vice President JD Vance. The flap comes as Washington and New Delhi try to steady trade ties after a tariff fight, and as legal challenges continue over Trump’s attempt to curb birthright citizenship.
