Trump’s ‘Hellhole’ Comment Triggers Sharp India Response

April 24, 2026 - India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has reacted sharply to US President Donald Trump’s endorsement of India is “hellhole” remark calling it “uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste.” Trump’s act of reposting a four-page transcript/video of podcaster Michael Savage, which described countries like India and China as “hellholes” in a discussion on US immigration, was widely interpreted as endorsing or amplifying those views.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, however, added that such statements do not reflect the reality of India–US ties, which are based on “mutual respect and shared interests”.

The Opposition, including the Congress party, called the remark “extremely insulting and anti-India” and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to register a formal protest.

Meanwhile, even Iran has taken a potshot at Trump with its Mumbai Consulate suggesting he needs a “cultural detox”. "Maybe someone should book a one-way cultural detox for Mr Trump, it might just reduce the random bakwaas," the Consulate wrote in a post on X.

In an attempt to soften the fallout, the US Embassy in New Delhi on Thursday (April 23) highlighted Trump’s past positive remarks about India, calling it a “great country” although it did not clarify when such a statement had been made.

Talk show host Michael Savage in an episode of The Savage Nation radio show, had referred to India and China as “hellhole places” in defence of the US President’s stand on birthright citizenship in the US. On Thursday Trump reposted this transcript on his Truth Social platform without any comments.

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