Trump on Thursday shared a post which referred to India, China, and some other nations as "hellholes" over the birthright citizenship issue. The repost included a transcript of remarks made by conservative political talk show host Michael Savage, who alleged that people from these countries travel to Washington in their ninth month of pregnancy to secure US citizenship for their children. The transcript stated, “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. There’s almost no loyalty to this country among the immigrant class coming in today, which was not always the case.”
The remarks quickly drew a sharp response from Iran. In a post on X, the handle of Iran consulate general in Maharashtra's Mumbai posted a video displaying two sides of Maharashtra — one highlighting the dynamic pace of city life, including BEST buses, roads and highways, and the other capturing the state’s scenic beauty with its waterfalls and mountains. The post was captioned, “Maybe someone should book a one-way cultural detox for Mr. #Trump, it might just reduce the random bakwaas [nonsense].” It added, “Kabhi #India aa ke dekho, phir bolna.”
Another X handle of Iran in Hyderabad intensified the criticism, describing India and China as “cradles of civilisation.” It added that the “hellhole” is a place where “a war-criminal president” threatens to decimate an entire civilisation. “China and India are the cradles of Civilization. In fact, the #hellhole is where its war-criminal president threatened to decimate the civilization in Iran,” the post read. In another post, the handle shared an image appearing to be part of the transcript Trump had posted, stating, “Every day, with a new post, Trump's inhumanity proves to be beyond infinity. This is the racism itself.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs formally responded, calling the remarks “uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste.” The ministry stated, “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.”
Amid mounting backlash, Trump issued a clarification through Washington's Embassy in New Delhi. A US Embassy spokesperson said, “The President has said, ‘India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top’.” His clarification followed widespread criticism in India, where opposition voices demanded a firm response. A post from Congress on X stated, “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.”
The episode has underscored the sensitivity of diplomatic language and the potential for social media statements to escalate into international controversy, even as official channels attempt to contain the fallout and reaffirm bilateral ties.
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