India has criticised remarks shared by U.S. President Donald Trump that described the country as a “hellhole”, calling the language uninformed and inappropriate as tensions briefly surfaced in the otherwise close relationship between the two nations. The comments originated from conservative radio host Michael Savage during an episode of The Savage Nation. Trump posted a transcript of the programme on his Truth Social platform on Thursday without adding any commentary.
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Remarks linked to birthright citizenship debate
In the transcript, Savage criticised the U.S. policy of birthright citizenship and referenced immigration from several countries.
“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 shared by Trump.
Savage also claimed that newer immigrant communities had “almost no loyalty” to the United States, contrasting them with earlier waves of immigrants from Europe. Reuters said it could not immediately reach Savage for comment.
Trump has been pushing to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States, arguing that the policy encourages immigration abuses. The proposal has triggered legal challenges and is currently being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Earlier this month, Trump attended a hearing on the issue in person, marking a rare visit by a sitting president to the court.
India calls comments inappropriate
India’s foreign ministry responded strongly to the remarks late on Thursday.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the comments were “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,” he said in a statement.
The U.S. embassy in New Delhi sought to ease tensions, highlighting Trump’s previous remarks about India.
“The president has said ‘India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top’,” the embassy said.
China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Political reaction in India
India’s main opposition party, the Congress party, condemned the remarks and urged the government to respond more forcefully.
In a post on X, the party described the “hellhole” comment as “extremely insulting and anti-India” and said it offended people across the country.
The party also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise the matter directly with Trump and lodge a formal protest.
Government data shows nearly 5.5 million people of Indian origin live in the United States. Indian Americans, along with Chinese Americans, represent the largest groups of Asian origin in the country.
Relations between Washington and New Delhi
Trump and Modi maintained close ties during Trump’s first term in office. However, relations cooled after India faced some of the highest tariffs imposed by the United States last year.
Many of those tariffs were rolled back earlier this year, and the two countries are now working toward a trade agreement intended to prevent new tariff increases and expand bilateral commerce.
Despite occasional disputes, the United States and India have continued to cooperate closely on trade, security and strategic issues.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 25 April 2026
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