Democrats on the US House Foreign Affairs Committee criticized President Donald Trump for his recent social media post calling India and China “hellholes”. “Americans are fighting and he is busy spreading racist garbage on social media and treating the presidency like reality TV,” said Democrats on the Foreign Affairs Committee.
“Treating the Presidency Like Reality TV”
According to Democrats, the US is at war with Iran, in which 13 members of the military have died and the president has put tens of thousands of Americans at risk.
“This is a serious moment. Our country deserves leadership that behaves like this,” the Democrats said.
Trump Amplifies Racist Commentary
Trump has faced heavy criticism for amplifying racist comments made by US talk show host Michael Savage targeting immigrants, particularly those from India and China.
Savage made the comments in connection with a case before the U.S. Supreme Court regarding birthright citizenship, and Trump reposted it on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Thursday.
Read also | Trump stokes citizenship row by reposting Indian comment
According to Savage, the current legal system allows immigrants to take advantage of US law by arriving in their “ninth month of pregnancy”.
Such practices create a loophole where “a baby becomes an instant citizen here and then they bring the whole family over from China or India or some other hellhole on the planet,” he said.
Government of India responds
The Indian government said on Thursday that a social media post that denigrated Indians in terms of immigration was “uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste”.
“We have seen the comments as well as the subsequent statement issued by the US Embassy in response. The remarks are clearly ill-informed, inappropriate and tasteless. They certainly do not reflect the reality of India-US relations, which have long been based on mutual respect and shared interests,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Read also | ‘India is a great country’: US embassy quotes Trump after ‘hellhole’ post
Indian-American lawmakers hit out at Trump
Indian-origin Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi on Thursday criticized Trump for the social media post, calling it “disgraceful and beneath the office he holds.”
In a post on X, Krishnamoorthi said: ‘Donald Trump’s decision to amplify racist rants attacking India and immigrants is disgraceful and beneath the office he holds.’
“His rhetoric not only offends 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,” Krishnamoorthi added.
Another Indian-American House representative, Ami Bera, also attacked Trump, saying he was “very proud of his heritage and the country that gave his family the opportunity to build a better life.
Read also | US Supreme Court Birthright Hearing – Why is the 1880 ruling in the spotlight?
“My parents came to the United States legally to seek this opportunity. My mother spent 35 years working as a public school teacher. My father worked as an engineer. They instilled in my brothers and me a deep belief in hard work, public service and giving back to the country that welcomed them,” Bera said.
He also added that Trump does not understand public service and 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,” Bera said.
Key things
- Trump’s comments drew backlash from Democrats and Indian officials.
- The importance of immigrants’ contributions to American society is emphasized.
- The remarks highlight ongoing tensions in US foreign relations, particularly with India.
