US President Donald Trump on Thursday reposted a four-page letter on his Truth Social platform, attributed to American radio host Michael Savage, which referred to India, China, and other countries as “hell-holes”.
The letter, which did not carry Savage’s name, criticised the provision of automatic US citizenship for those born on American soil and went on to reference India and China. Trump had earlier shared a video in which Savage voiced arguments similar to those outlined in the letter.
In the video, Savage claimed that the system creates a loophole, saying “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 footage, originally aired on the Newsmax programme The Savage Nation, was later amplified by the “Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social” account, which tracks and republishes the President’s social media posts.
The letter alleged that birthright citizenship allows people to “flood America with illegal aliens to change the demographics forever.”
“Our nation is being overrun with Chinese coming here just to drop a baby on our shores… it’s not limited to China, it’s also India,” the letter read, adding, “You have to be from India or China because almost all the internal mechanisms are set up to run by Indians and Chinese.”
The document alleged misuse of the current system, stating that individuals travel to the United States “in the ninth month of their pregnancy,” adding: “A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring the entire family in from China or India.” It further claimed the country had shifted from a “melting pot” to a “cash-in pot.”
The letter, posted by Trump on Truth Social, argued that birthright citizenship allows people to “flood America with illegal aliens to change the demographics forever.” It questioned whether the issue should be decided in courts, stating, “This is really not about law. This is about public opinion.”
“Birthright citizenship should be subjected to a national vote… Not put in the hands of lawyers. Let the citizens decide,” the letter added.
It also claimed public backing for such a move, adding, “It’s 80-20… we should have a national referendum on this.”
Reacting to the post, Christopher Elms, spokesperson for the US Embassy in New Delhi, said that Trump spoke warmly of India and called it a great nation.
“India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top,” Trump said, according to Elms.
The Ministry of External Affairs also reacted to the development. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “We have seen some reports. That’s where I will leave it,” Jaiswal said, without elaborating.
Trump has repeatedly opposed birthright citizenship, previously calling it a “devastating loophole” and “ludicrous.” He has indicated plans to curb the policy through executive action, even as legal experts widely maintain that such a move would conflict with the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution.
Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has adopted a stricter immigration approach, describing migration at the southern border as an “invasion” and placing mass deportations at the centre of his policy agenda. His administration has introduced a series of executive measures aimed at reshaping the US immigration system.