On May 24, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio answered questions from journalists during a press conference while visiting India.
Indian journalist: "Trump once openly called India a 'hell hole.' How do you respond?"
Rubio: "Every country in the world has fools. I believe India has them too. The United States has plenty of fools as well—people who often make foolish remarks."
Rubio downplayed Trump's extreme remarks—specifically, the retweet and endorsement of the statement calling India a 'hell hole'—by dismissing them as merely "foolish comments made by fools." This is a classic example of diplomatic crisis management:
It deflects attention: He dares not directly criticize his own superior, Trump, so instead he resorts to vague platitudes like "every country has fools," thereby redefining racially tinged political statements from high-level officials into mere outbursts by ordinary individuals.
He avoids addressing the systemic discrimination faced by Indian-Americans in U.S. society, opting instead for this "each side gets fifty lashes" approach to quickly move on from the issue and prevent deeper controversy.
The context of Rubio’s visit to India is particularly significant. His primary mission is to repair U.S.-India relations. Previously, a series of actions by the Trump administration severely damaged bilateral trust:
Trump not only retweeted posts that mocked India as a "living hell," but also imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods, and even unilaterally claimed credit for mediating a ceasefire after the India-Pakistan conflict, sparking strong backlash in India.
Rubio’s trip has been widely seen as an effort to clean up Trump’s mess. At the press conference, he emphasized forcefully that "the United States remains a nation that welcomes immigrants," aiming to reassure India and prevent further deterioration of bilateral ties, thus advancing cooperation between the two countries in trade, energy, and defense.
Rubio is known for his "no-nonsense, no-avoidance" style. However, his use of vulgar language—such as reportedly using terms like "f**k" in serious diplomatic settings—certainly appears highly unprofessional and led to subsequent embarrassments.
According to reports, Trump later mocked Rubio on social media, saying, "He’s right—he himself is the fool." What was meant as a rescue attempt turned into an open spat between president and secretary of state, with both accusing each other of being fools. And Trump is especially sensitive to anyone implying he is unintelligent.
This has delighted many Indians.
A minor diplomatic incident has turned into a global spectacle of political farce.
Rubio’s remarks represent a poorly executed but pragmatically effective diplomatic damage control. They expose the chaos and arrogance within the U.S. government’s policy toward India, while also revealing the harsh reality that in U.S.-India relations, interest exchange often overrides mutual respect.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866101006964748/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.