‘Poor taste’: India slams Trump over ‘hellhole’ remark in social media repost
India has strongly objected to a controversial social media repost by US President Donald Trump that included derogatory remarks describing India and other countries as “hellholes” in the context of immigration debates in the United States.
Reacting sharply, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted on X that the comments were not only inaccurate but also damaging in tone, while reaffirming that the broader India–US relationship remains stable and respectful.
“We have seen the comments, as also the subsequent statement issued by the US Embassy in response,” MEA posted.
“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.”
The statement marks a clear diplomatic pushback from New Delhi, emphasising that such language does not reflect the current state of cooperation between the two countries.
US embassy attempts damage control
Following the backlash, the US embassy issued a clarification aimed at softening the impact of the controversy. A spokesperson said Trump continues to view India positively.
“The President has said ‘India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top’.”
However, the embassy did not provide details on when or where these remarks were made, leaving some ambiguity around the clarification.
What sparked the controversy?
The controversy stems from comments made by American radio host Michael Savage, which Trump reshared on social media.
Savage was discussing a US Supreme Court case related to birthright citizenship and criticised immigration practices, alleging misuse of American laws. In his remarks, he claimed, immigrants arrive in the “ninth month of their pregnancy”
creating a loophole where babies gain instant citizenship, followed by families entering from “China or India or some other hellhole on the planet.”
The phrasing triggered backlash due to its derogatory reference to multiple countries, including India.