US President Donald Trump on Thursday struck a conciliatory note on India, describing it as a great country led by a very good friend, hours after drawing criticism for reposting a controversial remark that referred to India and other nations as hell holes, reported NDTV.
According to Christopher Elms, spokesperson for the US Embassy in New Delhi, Trump spoke warmly about India and emphasised his personal rapport with its leadership.
“India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top,” Trump said.
The remarks came after Trump shared a transcript and video from Michael Savage's podcast 'Savage Nation', which included derogatory references to immigrants from India and China.
In the podcast, Michael Savage criticised the United States' birthright citizenship policy, alleging that immigrants travel to the US late in pregnancy to secure citizenship for their children, claims which are widely disputed.
The transcript reposted by Trump described Indian and Chinese immigrants as “gangsters with laptops” who had “stepped on our flag,” and accused them of causing outsized economic harm.
Michael also argued for changes to citizenship laws, a position that aligns with ongoing political debates in the US.
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The controversy also drew attention to Trump's earlier claim that the US is the only country offering birthright citizenship. However, as noted by CNN in a fact-check, several countries, including Canada and Mexico, grant citizenship based on place of birth.
India's official response remained measured. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said, “We have seen some reports. That is where I leave it.”
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