KARACHI: US President Donald Trump triggered a diplomatic stir after sharing a transcript on his Truth Social platform that included remarks describing India as a “hellhole”, prompting India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to condemn the comments while stressing that they do not reflect the reality of bilateral ties.
Trump had on Wednesday reposted a transcript featuring comments by American commentator Michael Savage. The discussion centred on birthright citizenship, currently before the US Supreme Court.
Savage criticised US immigration policies and made sweeping claims about immigrants from India and China, alleging misuse of birthright citizenship provisions and arguing that people from these countries come to the US to “drop a baby in the ninth month on the doorstep” for 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. You don’t have to go too far to see that. English is not spoken here anymore. That there’s almost no loyalty to this country amongst the immigrant class coming in today, which was not always the case”, he said.
He further alleged that immigrants today lack the loyalty of earlier generations and criticised the continued relevance of constitutional provisions drafted before the advent of modern air travel.
Savage also claimed that Indians were dominating sectors such as technology, saying white Americans were effectively excluded from jobs in California’s high-tech industry. He accused institutions and advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, of undermining US national identity.
The remarks triggered immediate backlash in India, where opposition leaders condemned both the language used and Trump’s decision to amplify it.
The Indian National Congress criticised the US president in a post on X, as well as Indian PM Modi, stating: “US President Trump has called India a “HELLHOLE.” This statement is extremely insulting and anti-India. It hurts every Indian. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take up this matter with the US President and register a strong objection. However, given his track record so far, it cannot be expected that he will say anything in front of Trump. Trump has repeatedly made insulting remarks about India, and Modi has remained SILENT. Narendra Modi is a WEAK PM, and the entire country is bearing the brunt of it”.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia also condemned the remarks, stating on X: “Insulting India may win you headlines. But India doesn’t need your approval. A nation of 1.4 billion people with dignity, talent, and civilizational depth will not be defined by your rhetoric. Calling India a “hellhole” doesn’t insult India — it exposes your ignorance and hollow arrogance”.
India’s official response was initially cautious. On Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “We have seen some reports. That’s where I will leave it”.
However, later the same day, the MEA issued a stronger statement distancing itself from the remarks and reaffirming bilateral ties. Without naming Trump directly, it said: “We have seen the comments, as also the subsequent statement issued by the US Embassy in response. The remarks are obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste. They certainly do not reflect the reality of the India-US relationship, which has long been based on mutual respect and shared interests”.
Earlier, the US Embassy in New Delhi had tried some damage control, stating that Trump views India positively. “The president has said, ‘India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top’,” a spokesperson said, referring to Modi.
