From ‘hellhole’ to ‘great country’: How US scrambled to douse fire from Trump’s racist post

India was drawn into an unexpected geopolitical crosscurrent on April 23 after US President Donald Trump amplified a deeply controversial message on birthright citizenship — one that reignited a polarising debate within the US and triggered sharp international reactions.
The controversy began when Trump endorsed a racist post that referred to India and China as “hellholes”. Iran responded by describing the two countries as “cradles of civilisation”.