US President Donald Trump has reposted a podcast by American political commentator and radio host Michael Savage, in which India, China and other nations were disparagingly described as “hell-holes”. Savage’s remarks, shared on Trump’s Truth Social platform, were part of a broader attack on the United States’ birth right citizenship law, reported NDTV.

He alleged that people from India and China travel to the US late in pregnancy to give birth, thereby securing automatic citizenship for their children. Trump amplified these claims by sharing both the transcript and video of Savage’s podcast Savage Nation, which criticised the US Supreme Court’s handling of the issue.

Savage argued that automatic citizenship for children born to non-citizens should be decided by a national referendum rather than the courts. He claimed that such provisions allow families from countries like India and China to exploit the system, describing them in inflammatory terms as “gangsters with laptops” who have “stepped on our flag” and caused more harm than mafia families.

He further alleged that Indian and Chinese immigrants dominate the technology sector in California, leaving little opportunity for “white men” to secure jobs.

The radio host accused immigrants of abusing welfare systems and engaging in “birth tourism”, while contending that the US Constitution is outdated in the context of modern migration. He argued that the founding document was written long before air travel, television, radio and the internet, and questioned its relevance when people can arrive by plane in the ninth month of pregnancy.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded cautiously to Trump’s reposting of Savage’s remarks. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal acknowledged the reports but declined to elaborate further, stating simply, “We have seen some reports. That is where I leave it.”

Trump’s repost came a day after he falsely claimed in an interview with CNBC that no country other than the United States offers birth right citizenship. In reality, around three dozen countries grant automatic citizenship to those born on their soil, including Canada, Mexico and most South American nations.

Trump has long advocated ending birth right citizenship in the US, and in January 2025, after beginning his second term, he signed an executive order restricting automatic citizenship in certain scenarios.

The legality of Trump’s executive order is currently under review by the US Supreme Court. Earlier this month, the Court heard arguments in Trump vs Barbara, a case challenging the order. Trump has warned that if the Court rules against him, the decision will cost America financially and, in his words, “more importantly, it will cost America its DIGNITY!”

NDTV