US President Donald Trump sparked controversy after reposting content from Michael Savage, calling India and China 'hellholes' and accusing them of exploiting America's birthright citizenship privileges.
Indian-origin politicians in the US, including Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and Representative Ami Bera, slammed Trump's remarks, calling them 'offensive, ignorant' and 'beneath the office he holds.'
Krishnamoorthi labelled the content as 'a racist rant,' while Bera shared his own personal story as the son of Indian immigrants who came to the US legally in search of opportunity.
Bera explained that his parents instilled in him a deep belief in hard work, public service, and giving back to the country that welcomed them, and that he is a product of the American story.
He added that Trump's comments reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of who America is as a nation, and that immigrants have always strengthened the country, not weakened it.
India's foreign ministry called the remarks 'obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste,' and said they do not reflect the reality of the India-US relationship.
Trump later issued a clarification, saying 'India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top.'
