Officials inside of the Trump administration have reported to the Washington Post that President Trump is known to use a fake Indian accent when talking about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It’s hardly the first time the President has been accused of making politically incorrect or even racist comments.
President Trump recently came under fire for allegedly referring to certain developing countries as “sh*thole countries.” The unverified claim caused a media backlash across the world that certainly managed to distract the public from the then imminent government shutdown.
President Trump and others have in part blamed this frenzy for the shutdown, saying that no deal can be reached when there is no trust.
In November, President Trump faced similar criticism for referring to Senator Elizabeth Warren as “Pocahontas,” a reference to her suspect claims of Native American heritage. Senator Warren is also often referred to as “Fauxahontas,” at least in certain internet circles. The President also drew criticism for affecting a Hispanic accent in October, 2017 amid the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico saying, “We love Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico!”
While on the campaign trail President Trump used a fake Indian accent at least once before. Trump told supporters at a rally in Delaware that he had called his credit card company’s call center and learned the call center was in India, “Guess what, you’re talking to a person from India. How the hell does that work?” His comments were meant to underscore his desire to repatriate American companies who have moved abroad, part of his “America First” economic agenda.
Trump & Modi
President Trump and Prime Minister Modi otherwise are believed to have a good relationship, especially after the Prime Minister’s June 2017 visit to the US.
The Indian Prime Minister was said to be critical of US involvement in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Modi allegedly shared these views with President Trump during a private meeting last year, saying, “Never has a country given so much away for so little in return,” referring to the US.
Earlier this year, Trump tweeted that the US has gotten only “lies and deceit” from Pakistan, despite $33 billion dollars of aid towards fighting terror. Pakistan was meant to be a US ally during the war in Afghanistan, but according to the Trump administration, Pakistan provides safe haven for terrorists who are then able to plan attacks on Afghanistan and the American troops stationed there.
Since taking office, President Trump has added 5,500 troops to the forces already stationed in Afghanistan. The Army is currently preparing to send an additional 1,000 troops to the embattled country, despite the government shutdown.
Modi is said to have praised President Trump after his decision to freeze security aid to Pakistan. He is reported as saying:
I welcome him [President Trump] and I respect him. Whoever takes a step against terrorism, I will welcome them and praise them, because my country has been suffering from terrorism for forty years. Innocents are being killed. Terrorism needs to end in the world.
Some Indian news outlets have even claimed the Prime Minister’s diplomacy is in part responsible for President Trump’s decision on Pakistan.
This week Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the US President had even been inspired by Prime Minister Modi efforts towards development in India:
When US President Donald Trump was asked how he will work for the development of his country, he answered just like Prime Minister Modi is working for the development of India. This is a matter of pride not only for the Prime Minister but also for 125 crore Indians.
PC Culture
The media may be able to successfully create a firestorm anytime the President allegedly does or says something politically incorrect. But the question is, “Do the American people care?”
Many people, of course, care when President Trump says or allegedly says something that offends them personally, but the democratically elected President didn’t start his politically incorrect comments after taking office.
His base reports that they love his ability to “say it like it is” and fly in the face of political correctness, which they believe has gone too far and become oppressive. In the words of YouTube sensation and avid Trump supporters Diamond & Silk, “I prefer an ugly truth to a well dressed lie.” Many Trump supporters would agree with this statement.
For the millions of Americans who consider themselves Centrists, is the media obsession with Trump’s alleged racism pushing them away from the President, or alienating them from the media? While everyone is worried about the government shutdown, how many Americans actually have the time to care about what jokes the President makes in private? Will Trump’s fake Indian accent actually cost him votes?
These reports always lead to fresh accusations of racism towards the President, leading to a debate over whether being politically incorrect is the same thing as being racist. President Trump, of course, insists that he is not a racist.
