Iran took a fresh swipe at Donald Trump on Friday — urging him to visit India for a “one-way cultural detox”. The comments came in response to a racist rant that the the had reposted on social media to critique birthright citizenship. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs later dubbed it an “uninformed, inappropriate” move from Trump, while Democrats lambasted him for “amplifying racist trash” amidst the Iran war.
“Maybe someone should book a one-way cultural detox for Trump, it might just reduce the random bakwaas. Kabhi India aa ke dekho, phir bolna (Visit India some time, then talk),” the Iranian Embassy in Mumbai retorted.
Trump had reposted a lengthy rant from American political commentator Michael Savage that made several derogatory references to India, China and other “hell-hole” nations on Tursday. The podcaster claimed that people from the two Asian countries visited the US to “drop a baby in the ninth month” for the sake of citizenship.
“A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring in their entire family from China, or India, or some other hell-hole on the planet…We’ve gone from the melting pot to the chamber pot….birthright citizenship should be subjected to a national vote,” he claimed in the post that was reshared by Trump.
The lengthy rant also described Indian and Chinese immigrants as “gangsters with laptops” who have “stepped on our flag” and done great damage to the country.
“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 trud world triumph, stepped on our flag, et cetera,” he insisted.
MEA hits back at Trump
The Ministry of External Affairs later issued a statement criticising the comments.
“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,” read an official statement from the Foreign Ministry.
Democrats, Indian-American leaders slam Trump
The House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats also lashed out at Trump for reposting the racist comments. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi was also vocal in his criticism over the post — calling the comments “disgraceful and beneath the office he [Trump] holds”
“The US is at war with Iran. Thirteen service members are dead, and the president has placed tens of thousands of Americans in harm’s way. Americans are struggling and he’s busy amplifying racist trash on social media, treating the presidency like a reality TV gig. This is a serious moment. Our country deserves leadership that acts like it,” the US House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats wrote on X.
“His rhetoric doesn’t just insult 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. We should be strengthening that partnership and honoring our diversity, not stoking division for political gain,” Krishnamoorthi added.