US President Donald Trump sparked widespread controversy after reposting content from Michael Savage in which the American radio host called India and China “hellholes” and accused the countries of exploiting America’s birthright citizenship privileges. Following this, a storm of criticism erupted on social media, including tweets from Indian-origin politicians in the US.
Raja Krishnamoorthi’s remark:
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi labelled the content as “a racist rant.” He posted, “Donald Trump’s decision to amplify a racist rant attacking India and immigrants is disgraceful and beneath the office he holds. His rhetoric doesn’t just insult millions of Indian Americans and one of our most important global partners—it undermines the values that have made America a nation of opportunity and innovation. We should be strengthening that partnership and honoring our diversity, not stoking division for political gain.”
Ami Bera’s remark:
He is not the only one who called out the American leader. In a lengthy post, Representative Ami Bera discussed his Indian heritage. He further labelled the remarks shared by Trump as “offensive and ignorant”.
“As the son of immigrants from India, I take great pride in both my heritage and in the country that gave my family the opportunity to build a better life. My parents came to the United States legally in search of that opportunity,” Bera wrote.
He explained that his mother worked as a public school teacher for 35 years and his father worked as an engineer. He continued, “They instilled in my brothers and me a deep belief in hard work, public service, and giving back to the country that welcomed them. I am a product of that American story. I attended California’s public schools from kindergarten through medical school, became a doctor, and now have the privilege of serving our nation in Congress. That is what the American Dream looks like.”
Calling out the derogatory remark, Bera posted, “The comments shared by President Trump are offensive, ignorant, and beneath the dignity of the office he holds. They reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of who we are as a nation. America has always been strengthened by generations of immigrants who come here, work hard, and contribute to our country. They do not weaken America — they strengthen it.”
He added, “America was built by people from all over the world who believed in its promise and worked tirelessly to make it better for the next generation. That’s the story of my family, and it’s the story of millions of families across our nation.”
Slamming Trump he said that the president “never had to struggle” like the immigrant families do as he was born into “wealth and privilege”. He alleged that the US leader doesn’t understand the “grit, sacrifice, and determination it takes to build a life from the ground up.”
“He does not understand public service, and he does not understand the values that make America the greatest nation in the world. We are a nation of immigrants, and we are stronger because of it.”
How did India react?
India’s foreign ministry called the remarks “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,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal tweeted.
Donald Trump’s clarification:
The US president issued a clarification on the disparaging remarks in a statement through Washington’s Embassy in New Delhi. “The President has said, ‘India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top’,” a US Embassy spokesperson said.
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