New Delhi: Continuing to press for changes to birthright citizenship, US President Donald Trump Wednesday reposted a transcript of a podcast by the conservative radio host Michael Savage Wednesday that labelled Indians and Chinese as immigrants who come from ‘a hellhole’ and make their babies ‘instant citizens’.
In the episode of ‘Savage Nation,’ Savage claimed it allows families to later immigrate in large numbers.
“A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring the entire family in from China or India or some other hellhole on the planet. You don’t have to go too far to see that. English is not spoken here anymore. That there’s almost no loyalty to this country amongst the immigrant class coming in today, which was not always the case,” the podcast claimed.
On Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it had “seen some reports” about Trump posting remarks by an American commentator who referred to India as a “hellhole”. “We have seen some reports. That’s where I will leave it,” Jaiswal said, without elaborating.
Soon after the controversy erupted and the MEA reaction, the US embassy spokesperson in India said that the President has said “India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top.”
Meanwhile, Savage, in a written statement, used disparaging language to describe immigrants from India and China and accusing them of undermining American institutions. He also argued that employment practices in parts of the technology sector disadvantage American-born workers, asserting that hiring systems favour applicants from those countries.
The racist rant further describes Indian and Chinese immigrants as “gangsters with laptops” who have “stepped on our flag”.
“They’ve done more damage to this nation than all the mafia families put together. In my unhumble opinion, gangsters with laptops. They’ve robbed us blind, treated us like second-class citizens, let the third world triumph, stepped on our flag, et cetera,” he wrote.
He also attacked the American Civil Liberties Union, calling it ‘the head of the snake’ trying to ‘turn America into a cesspool.’
The radio host then said he had once supported India but had come to believe that opportunities for white American workers in certain industries, particularly in California’s technology sector, had diminished.
He characterised the current immigration system as one that enables “birth tourism” and abuse of public benefits.
Savage further argued that the Constitution is outdated in the context of modern migration, noting that it was written before the advent of air travel, mass media and the internet. He questioned whether its provisions on citizenship remain applicable in an era, when, he said, people can travel internationally late in pregnancy.
The US President’s decision to highlight the podcast comes as he intensifies his campaign against birthright citizenship. In a CNBC interview Tuesday, Trump incorrectly asserted that the United States is the only country that grants automatic citizenship to those born on its soil.
India, Canada and Mexico are among countries that maintain similar policies. Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has sought to restrict birthright citizenship through executive action. In January that year, he signed an order aimed at limiting automatic citizenship in certain cases.
The 14th Amendment guarantees birthright citizenship, and efforts to alter that interpretation face significant constitutional hurdles. The issue is currently under review by the Supreme Court of the United States, which earlier this month heard arguments in a case challenging the administration’s policy.
Regarding the anticipated ruling, Trump said that a decision against his position would carry both financial and symbolic consequences for the country. “If they rule against our country on birthright citizenship, which they probably will, it will cost America massive amounts of money,” he said, adding that it would also affect what he described as the nation’s dignity
This is a revised article with statement from the US embassy spokesperson.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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All these racists are ranting about a problem that started decades back. They were happy to invite talent from across the world but are crying about it now. Truly the moment of mainstreaming of “vinash kaale vipirit buddhi” has arrived for the USA.