‘Every country has stupid people’: US secy Rubio's tense exchange over ‘racist remarks’ question at Delhi press meet

US secretarial assistant of say Marco Rubio on lord's day asserted that poor fish people survive in every country. He was defending the United States over racist comments against Indians. At his joint press conference with India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi, Rubio was asked a question on a “racist remarks from the US against Indians”.When asked by Rubio pointedly, “Who made those comments?”, the reporter from a TV channel did not name specify but noted that such a post had been “endorsed” and “we all have seen it”. US President Donald Trump had recently reshared a social media post that called India a “hellhole”, but later sought to clarify by praising India and PM Narendra Modi.Rubio, when told the racist post “endorsement” was well-known, said on Sunday, “I don't know how to address that, but I'll take that very seriously.” “I'm sure that there are people that have made comments online and 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, that make dumb comments all the time," he added.‘Very welcoming country’Highlighting contributions made by immigrants, including the Indian diaspora, to American society and the economy, he further said as per news agency ANI, “I don't know what else to tell you, other than the United States is a very welcoming country.”He then said, “Our nation has been enriched by people who come to our country, have come from our country, from all over the world, have become Americans, have assimilated into our way of life, and it's contributing.”Acknowledging the economic role played by the Indian community in the United States, Rubio said, “I accept what you just said about the contribution that Indians have made in the US economy, over USD 20 billion… We want that number to continue to increase.”On H-1B and immigrationRubio also noted that Washington is reviewing its immigration system. To questions on recent changes affecting J1, F1 and H-1B visas, usually a big American pathway for highly qualified Indian techies, Rubio said the overhaul of the US immigration system was a global exercise and not aimed specifically at India."The changes that are happening now, or the modernisation of our migration system into the United States, are not India-specific. It is global, it's being applied across the world," he said.He said the US faced a “migration crisis” in recent years, with more than 20 million people entering the country illegally. "Everything that you do as a country needs to be in your national interest, and that includes your immigration policy," Rubio said."It is not a system that is targeted at India," Rubio said. “We think ultimately our destination is going to be a better system.”Meanwhile, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor reiterated Washington's commitment to strengthening ties with New Delhi in a post on X. "Sec Rubio's message is clear. Our relationship with India matters. Our strategic partnership with India is real. We have incredible potential ahead," Gor said.Earlier, Jaishankar held delegation-level talks with Rubio at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, marking a key engagement in the ongoing high-level US-India diplomatic dialogue. The meeting was attended by senior officials from both sides. He met PM Narendra Modi on Saturday.