Goa, April 23 -- US President Donald Trump on Thursday described India as a "great country" while underlining his strong personal ties with its leadership, even as criticism mounted over his recent online activity. The statement followed his repost of content linked to Michael Savage, whose remarks about several countries sparked backlash.

As per Christopher Elms, Trump stressed India's global significance and his friendly equation with its top leadership. He remarked that India remains an important partner with "a very good friend" leading it.

The controversy erupted after Trump shared a clip from Savage's podcast discussing immigration and birthright citizenship in the US. The remarks, suggesting misuse of the system by Asian national...