'Wouldn't be here if Trump didn't want me to': Marco Rubio's response to US president's 'hellhole' remark

NEW DELHI: President Donald Trump loves India and is a big fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Monday while responding to questions about the reported endorsement earlier by the president of "racist remarks" calling India a hellhole.

"I wouldn't be here if the president didn't want me to be here. He cares - he wouldn't have sent someone like Sergio (Gor) to be our ambassador, someone who's very close to the President," said Rubio.

Responding to a question at a media briefing on Sunday, Rubio had said there are stupid people everywhere who say dumb things. However, the travelling US media on Monday brought to his attention that the question was about the Trump endorsement of the hellhole remark. Rubio said he had assumed that the question at the briefing was about random voices out there.

Rubio also said that India had not brought up the issue of Pakistan mediation in the US-Iran war in the meeting that he had with S Jaishankar on Sunday.

"India is always pointing to the fact that there are armed terrorist groups operating from Pakistani territory that target India. There are always concerns about that," the secretary of state said.

"But as far as the role they played as a mediator and a facilitator in the Iran situation, it never came up. I don't think they were complaining about that. I mean, their issue with Pakistan is different," he added.

Asked about the talks with Iran, he said there was "a pretty solid thing" on the table in terms of the possible opening of the Strait of Hormuz, reiterating that there might be some good news soon. He added though that Trump was not in a hurry.

"He's not going to make a bad deal, and the president's not going to make a bad agreement. So let's see what happens. We're going to give diplomacy every chance to succeed before we explore the alternatives," said Rubio.