'Are you from India?': Trump's dig at Indian journalist triggers racism debate - VIDEO
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Are you from India?': Trump's dig at Indian journalist triggers racism debate - VIDEO")
US President Donald Trump Photograph: (AFP)
Trump sparked controversy after telling an Indian journalist he thought he was from Germany before calling him ‘Central Casting’ during an Oval Office briefing. The remarks triggered accusations of racism online.
US President Donald Trump, during a press conference at the White House Oval Office interrupted an Indian journalist as he began to speak. The reporter was asking about Trump's relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Trump looked disinterested for very long time and then he asked if he was from India. Amid controversy on racism remarks, Trump quickly added that he was “only kidding.”
“Are you from India, by any chance? Huh? I thought you were from Germany?” he stated with an unpleasant smile. "I was only kidding," Trump quickly added after the journalist verified his origin from India. Trump commented, "You’re Central Casting. That’s a good thing.”
'You’re Central Casting'
Not fully addressing the journalist's inquiry, Trump commented, "You’re Central Casting. That’s a good thing.” Trump often uses the phrase “Central Casting” to mean someone looks like a typical example of a certain job or role, like an actor chosen for a movie. Several users criticised Donald Trump’s remarks, accusing him of racism and insensitivity. Some described his comments as “racism at best” and “racist talk,” while others dismissed them as “meaningless statements.” One user went further, calling him “elitist” and making harsh comparisons, while another said the US had “elected a joker as president,” reflecting strong backlash and divided reactions online.
Rubio on racism
During his New Delhi visit, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was caught off guard as WION's Sidhant Sibal asked him about racism against Asians in America. Responding to the question, Rubio said that such remarks were made by “stupid people” and did not represent the broader American society. “I’m sure that there are people that have made comments online and other places, because every country in the world has stupid people,” Rubio said. “I’m sure there’s stupid people here. There are stupid people in the United States that make dumb comments all the time,” he added. WATCH here
A day later, when he realised that the question was asked over Trump's 'hellhole' remark, he walked back on his statement. in April 2026 shared a four-page transcript of remarks made by podcaster Michael Savage on America's birthright citizenship where he accused people from India and China of abusing the privilege. "A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring the entire family in from China or India or some other hellhole on the planet," the transcript documents Savage as saying.
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