On Sunday, May 24, the US State Department deleted a social media post featuring the racist question from an Indian media house targeting Indians and Indian-Americans in the United States.
Published: May 25, 2026 4:32 PM IST
New Delhi: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is on a four-day visit to India, has, on the question of his previous remark on racism against Indians in the United States, put forth a clarification and said that he did not understand to whom the “purported” question was directed to. In his defence, he highlighted US President Donald Trump’s closeness to India.
Big Fan of PM Modi: Trump
The US Secretary of State, while clarifying his previous remark on racism against Indians in the United States, averred that he did not “understand whom the question referred to” while he highlighted US President Donald Trump’s “closeness to India” even as he (Trump) called himself a “big fan of PM Modi”. Rubio, while on his way to Agra on Monday, 25 May, was once again asked by Indian reporters about his remark on racism that he said while responding to a question. It appeared that on Monday morning, Rubio did a volte face on his previous comments and avoided, or completely avoided the claims made by US President about his love for India and being a big fan of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It might have been the ‘hellhole’ remark by Trump which the said reporter might have referred to.
What Did Rubio Say?
During the joint press conference of Marco Rubio and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday, May 24, the reporter asked Secretary Rubio about racist remarks. Responding to the question, Rubio initially appeared cautious and said that such remarks were made by “stupid people” and did not represent the broader American society. “I’m sure that there are people that have made comments online and other places, because every country in the world has stupid people,” Rubio said. “I’m sure there’s stupid people here. There are stupid people in the United States that make dumb comments all the time,” he added.
Trump’s ‘hellhole’ Remark
In April 2026, Donald Trump shared a four-page transcript of remarks made by podcaster Michael Savage on America’s birthright citizenship where he accused people from India and China of abusing the privilege. “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,” the transcript documents Savage as saying. This was shared by Trump on his Truth Social post.
How Did India React in April?
Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded in a statement: “We have seen the comments, as also the subsequent statement issued by the US Embassy in response. The remarks are 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.”
The US Embassy in New Delhi quickly clarified that US President Donald Trump considers India a “great country” led by a “very good friend,” attempting to alleviate the diplomatic consequences.
What Has Rubio Clarified Now?
Rubio said that he had given the reporter a chance to specify who he was talking about but he didn’t say anything. He went on to state that people say stupid stuff all the time on social media in every country. “The bottom line is that in the modern era, you go online, and there are people saying all kinds of crazy stuff online. I don’t even know if they’re real people or who they are. The President loves India. The President is a big fan of India, a big fan of Prime Minister Modi. I wouldn’t be here if the President didn’t want me to be here. He wouldn’t have sent someone like Sergio to be our ambassador, someone who’s very close to the President. I mean, people say stupid stuff all the time on social media and in every country in the world, unfortunately.”
Also Read: US will not build ties with other nations at expense of its partnership with India: Marco Rubio
US Department Deletes Social Media Post
On Sunday, May 24, the US State Department deleted a social media post featuring the racist question from an Indian media house targeting Indians and Indian-Americans in the United States. The State Department post before deletion read: “REPORTER: There’s been a lot of racism coming from the US against Indians. What’s your response? SECRETARY RUBIO: I’m sure there are people who have made dumb comments because every country has stupid people. I’m sure there are stupid people here. I don’t know what else to tell you other than that the US is a very welcoming country. Our nation has been enriched by people who come to our country and become Americans, have assimilated into our way of life, and have contributed greatly.”
