The Ministry of External Affairson Thursday strongly criticised the comments made in a video that had been re-shared by US President Donald Trump on social media handle on Thursday. In its latest statement, the ministry has labelled the comments as “uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste”.
“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,” the MEA said. It added that the comments do not reflect the reality of India–US relations, which are anchored in mutual respect and shared interests.
Earlier today, Donald Trump amplified a sharp critique of birthright citizenship in the US by reposting a lengthy rant from American political commentator and podcaster Michael Savage. The post, which has since sparked a diplomatic row, contained several derogatory references to India, China, and other nations, labeling them as “hellholes”.
In the shared video, Savage criticized existing immigration laws, alleging that they allow individuals to exploit legal provisions by traveling to the US late in pregnancy to secure automatic citizenship for their children. He specifically claimed that people from the two Asian giants visit the US to “drop a baby in the ninth month” solely for the sake of citizenship.
“A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring in their entire family from China, or India, or some other hellhole on the planet… We’ve gone from the melting pot to the chamber pot,” Savage claimed in the post reshared by the US President.
Damage control by the US administration
In an apparent effort to mitigate the fallout, the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi issued a clarification within hours of the MEA’s statement. The embassy emphasized the President’s high regard for the Indian leadership and the strategic partnership between the two nations.
A U.S. Embassy spokesperson stated on Thursday that President Trump views India as a “great country” led by a “very good friend”, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As per observers interviewed by ANI, this sudden rebranding is seen by many as an attempt to prevent any social rift with New Delhi that could affect the ongoing talks to finalise the first phase of India-US Bilateral Trade agreement.
A team of 12 Indian officials is presently in Washington to finalise the terms of execution of India’s Bilateral trade agreement with USA that’s presently expected to undergo major changes following US Supreme Court ruling that dismantled Trump’s previously imposed non-uniform tariffs.
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