India rebukes Trump over ‘hellhole’ remarks on birthright citizenship
US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands, at the White House in Washington, DC, US, February 13, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS
India has dismissed as “uninformed” comments shared by US President Donald Trump that described the country as a “hellhole”, saying they were inappropriate and inconsistent with strong ties between the two nations.
The remarks originated from conservative commentator Michael Savage during an episode of The Savage Nation talk radio show. Trump posted a transcript of the show on his Truth Social account on Thursday without adding any comment.
“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,” Savage said, according to the transcript.
“That there's almost no loyalty to this country amongst the immigrant class coming in today, which was not always the case. No, they're not like the European Americans of today and their ancestors.”
Reuters could not immediately contact Savage.
Trump has issued a directive seeking to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States, a move that has been challenged in the US Supreme Court. Earlier this month, he attended a hearing on the issue in a rare visit to the court.
India’s foreign ministry reacted strongly late on Thursday. “The remarks are obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste,” foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.
“They certainly do not reflect the reality of the India-US relationship, which has long been based on mutual respect and shared interests.” The US embassy in New Delhi sought to strike a more conciliatory tone, saying: “The president has said ‘India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top’.”
China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
India’s main opposition Indian National Congress condemned the remark as “extremely insulting and anti-India”.
नरेंद्र मोदी के मित्र और अमेरिका के राष्ट्रपति ट्रंप ने हिंदुस्तान को Hellhole मतलब 'नरक' कहा है।
यही नहीं, उन्होंने अमेरिका जाकर काम करने वाले भारतीयों को 'लैपटॉप वाले गैंगस्टर' भी कह दिया।
लेकिन नरेंद्र मोदी और उनकी सरकार की ओर से सुई टपक सन्नाटा है। किसी ने ट्रंप को एक बार… pic.twitter.com/FQskgQlW9O“Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take up this matter with the US President and register a strong objection,” the party said in a post on X.
Government data shows nearly 5.5 million people of Indian origin live in the United States, with Indian Americans and Chinese Americans forming the two largest Asian-origin groups in the country.
Trump and Modi enjoyed warm ties during Trump’s first term, but relations cooled after India was hit last year with some of the highest US tariffs, many of which were rolled back this year. Both countries are now working on a trade deal aimed at preventing renewed tariff increases and boosting bilateral trade.