The US State Department has quietly removed a social media post featuring Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplaying anti-India racist remarks as the work of “stupid people.”
The clip, recorded during Rubio’s four-day official visit to New Delhi, began going viral on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) before official channels deleted the specific question-and-answer segment.
The Press Conference Exchange
During a joint press conference alongside Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, a reporter directly questioned Rubio about rising anti-India rhetoric originating from the United States.
The Exchange:
Reporter: “There have been a lot of racist comments coming from the United States against Indians, Indian-Americans… What’s your take on that?”
Marco Rubio: “I’m sure that there are people who have made comments online and in other places because every country in the world has stupid people. I’m sure there are stupid people here; there are stupid people in the United States who make dumb comments all the time.”
Rubio followed up by emphasizing that America has been deeply enriched by immigrants from across the globe who assimilate and contribute to society.
Context: The “Hell-Hole” Controversy
While the journalist did not name specific individuals during the initial exchange, the question followed intense diplomatic friction caused by an online endorsement from President Donald Trump.
The Cleanup and Damage Control
Following the social media stir over his “stupid people” defense, Rubio held a secondary media briefing the following day to clarify his stance. He attempted to pivot away from allegations of systemic or high-level anti-India rhetoric by focusing entirely on anonymous internet users.
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Defending Trump: Rubio asserted that the President remains a “big fan of India” and a close friend of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noting that top Trump confidant Sergio Gor was selected as the US Ambassador to India.
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Dismissing Online Rhetoric: “The bottom line is that in the modern era, you go online, and there are people saying all kinds of crazy stuff,” Rubio remarked, indicating that he believed the reporter was merely reacting to unverified internet trolls rather than official political messaging.
