Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump at a press conference in February 2025.Image: keystone
Apr 24, 2026, 10:26 amApr 24, 2026, 10:26 am
The fact that Donald Trump is dishing out things against other countries is nothing new. In the most recent case, the US President is taking on India. On his platform Truth Social he publishes a long text that probably goes back to the conservative podcaster Michael Savage.
The lines are about the principle of US citizenship at birth. Among other things, it says: “Here [in den USA] a baby automatically becomes a citizen. And then the entire family comes from China or India or some other hellhole.”
Trump did not comment on the text, but linked to a video by Michael Savage.
screenshot truth social
screenshot truth social
The Indian Foreign Ministry is not very enthusiastic. Spokesman Randhir Jaiswal calls the statements “obviously uninformed, inappropriate and of poor style.” They do not in any way reflect the relationship between the two countries, which is based on “mutual respect and shared interests”.
The Hindu American Foundation is also dismayed by this “hateful, racist tirade,” writes the British Guardian.
In the USA, the place of birth principle applies according to the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. This means that all people born on US soil and subject to American jurisdiction are automatically citizens, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.
Trump is not a fan of this principle. Shortly after returning to the White House, he signed an executive order denying citizenship to children whose mothers did not have permanent residency status at birth or were only legally residing in the United States on a temporary basis. This includes tourists and students.
The Supreme Court is now also dealing with the issue. At the beginning of April, Trump personally attended one of the hearings.
A decision from the court is expected between the end of June and beginning of July. (hkl)