The United States remains a welcoming country but has “stupid people“ who make stupid statements. This was stated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his visit to India, responding to a reporter's request to comment on racist remarks directed at Indians and Indian-Americans.
“The United States is a very welcoming country. But every country in the world has stupid people. I am sure there are such people here and in the United States. There are also people in the United States who constantly make stupid comments,“ Rubio said.
Commenting on the impact of restrictions on travel by Indians to the US, he noted that the changes in US immigration policy are not targeted at India. "The changes that are happening now, or the modernization of our immigration system, are not India-centric and they are not specific to India. This is a global process that is being implemented around the world," Rubio said.
According to the secretary of state, "the US-India relationship has not lost momentum." "Some may say that, but I don't see that in any form," he said.
On the US trade tariffs against New Delhi, Rubio said they were not solely related to India and were part of a global review of US trade policy. "This is not about India. The President [Donald Trump] did not set out to create tension with India over trade. "It's about addressing the imbalances that have built up in the US economy, and that approach is being applied globally," the secretary of state said.
In recent years, concerns have grown in India over anti-India rhetoric in the US, including comments on social media and a number of incidents against Indians and students of Indian origin. For example, in 2024, a series of attacks on Indian students in Chicago and Atlanta drew widespread attention. Also, in April, comments by an American radio host calling India a "hellhole" caused a stir in the South Asian republic. India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the remarks at the time.