US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made an embarrassing blunder at a press conference in New Delhi when he was asked about “racist comments coming from the U.S.” regarding India. Instead of directly addressing the accusations, Rubio downplayed the issue by saying such remarks come from “stupid people.” The problem is that the comments in question were made by his own boss, President Donald Trump.
When a reporter asked about Trump’s social media post, where he shared Michael Savage’s comments describing India as a “hellhole,” Rubio appeared confused. “Who made those comments?” he asked. Even after the reporter clarified, Rubio said, “I’m sure there are people that have made comments online and other places, because every country in the world has stupid people,” seemingly unaware that he was indirectly referring to President Trump.
The State Department later deleted a post that had highlighted Rubio’s remarks, reports The Daily Beast. This was not the first time Trump’s words had caused tension. Last month, Trump shared a four-page transcript of Savage’s comments, which accused Indians and Chinese people of abusing birthright citizenship in the US. The Indian foreign ministry responded by calling the remarks “uninformed, inappropriate, and in poor taste.”
Rubio’s visit to India comes at a difficult time for the two countries’ relationship
The US-India relationship has been under pressure for several months now, largely due to Trump’s comments and trade policies. Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, with 25% of that being a direct penalty for India buying Russian oil. This put serious strain on what had previously been a strong trade partnership between the two countries.
The repeated friction over trade and political remarks has made it increasingly difficult for diplomats on both sides to maintain a stable working relationship. In February, Trump reduced these tariffs to 18% as part of an ongoing trade agreement that is still being negotiated.
Meanwhile, the US also temporarily eased sanctions to allow India to purchase Russian oil that had been stranded at sea, amid broader tensions tied to Trump’s reported moves to align with other global powers against shared adversaries. These back-and-forth policy shifts have created uncertainty in the relationship and left both sides trying to find stable ground.
Rubio is set to visit India next month in an effort to help repair the strained ties between the two countries. His visit will likely be overshadowed by this latest incident, where his attempt to defend Trump only made things worse. Rather than addressing the racism accusations directly, he appeared to dismiss them in a way that caused further embarrassment for the US government on an international stage.
As Secretary of State, Rubio is one of the most senior representatives of US foreign policy abroad. His comments in New Delhi, whether intentional or not, came across as dismissive of a serious concern raised by India. Calling the source of such remarks “stupid people” while those remarks are tied to the sitting US President is a significant diplomatic misstep that drew widespread attention.
The situation reflects a broader challenge for the US government in managing its relationship with India at a time when trust is already fragile. Trump’s comments and trade actions have repeatedly put India on the defensive, and Rubio’s press conference in New Delhi did little to reassure Indian officials that the US takes their concerns seriously.
This comes as the administration is also navigating other major foreign policy developments, including a near-finalized peace agreement with Iran that could reshape dynamics across the region. With so many diplomatic challenges on its plate at once, the US government’s handling of the India relationship will be closely watched in the weeks ahead, especially as Rubio prepares for his upcoming visit.
Published: May 25, 2026 08:45 am