India has issued a formal rebuke after Trump shared a social media post containing derogatory language about the country. The row prompted a clarification from the US Embassy and drew political reactions within India, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
India has reacted sharply after US President Donald Trump shared a social media repost that described the country in derogatory terms, with the government calling the remarks “uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste” and stressing that they do not reflect the reality of bilateral ties.
Responding to the controversy, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the comments were not representative of the India-US relationship, which he said has long been based on mutual respect and shared interests. “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,” he said.
The reaction followed a repost by Trump of content linked to American political commentator and radio host Michael Savage, whose podcast included references to India, China and other countries using derogatory language. The material also criticised US birthright citizenship laws and made disparaging claims about immigrants, including Indian and Chinese nationals.
Hours after the repost drew criticism, the US Embassy sought to contain the fallout, stating that the President believes India is a “great” country led by a “good friend of mine”. The spokesperson did not specify where or when Trump made the remarks describing India in those terms, but presented them as reflective of his broader position.
The episode has placed renewed attention on diplomatic messaging between New Delhi and Washington at a time when both governments have emphasised cooperation across defence, trade and technology. Officials in India indicated that the characterisation contained in the repost did not align with the current trajectory of ties.
The podcast content shared by Trump included passages in which Savage referred to India and other countries as “hell-holes” and called for changes to immigration policy. In the same material, immigrants were described in highly critical terms, including as “gangsters with laptops”, alongside broader claims about their impact on the United States.
In India, the controversy quickly took on a political dimension. Opposition parties criticised the repost and questioned the government’s response. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post on X that the content shared by Trump used an “extremely disparaging term” about India and criticised the Prime Minister for what he described as silence on the issue.
Kharge also referred to an earlier response from the Ministry of External Affairs in which the spokesperson had said, “We have seen some reports. That is where I leave it.” He added that Indians have played a vital role in America’s success and questioned why the matter was not being raised at the highest levels of the US government.
Government officials have not indicated any further diplomatic steps beyond the public response issued by the Ministry of External Affairs. The emphasis has remained on reiterating the strength of India US relations while rejecting the language used in the repost.
The incident underscores the sensitivity of public statements and social media activity in shaping diplomatic perceptions, particularly between countries with extensive strategic and economic engagement. While the US Embassy’s clarification aimed to ease tensions, the exchange has drawn attention to how quickly online content can trigger official responses and political debate.
India and the United States have in recent years expanded cooperation across multiple sectors, with leaders on both sides frequently highlighting shared democratic values and converging interests. Against that backdrop, officials in New Delhi sought to frame the controversy as an outlier rather than a reflection of the broader relationship, even as domestic political reactions continued to unfold.
