Elon Musk reacts to ‘butter chicken’ jibe at Trump's Indian-born colleague Sriram Krishnan

Social media users slammed "racist" remarks against Chennai-born Sriram Krishnan, US President-elect Donald Trump's adviser on artificial intelligence policy.

A post on X, that went viral on Saturday, read, "Here is what Sriram Krishnan would look like if he was butter chicken." An X user called it "racist" and said, “These racist attacks are disgusting.”

"[Sriram Krishnan is awesome, for the record ]," the post read.

Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk was among those who commented on the post in support Sriram Krishnan. "💯," his comment read.

Many other users found the post "funny". One comment read, "It’s not a “racist attack”, it’s called humor. And Democrats like Jason have never had it." Meanwhile, another comment stated, "This is real racism. This is the shit that needs to be called out."

Sriram Krishnan was selected by Trump as senior policy advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Krishnan is originally from Chennai.

Sharing a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, "Sriram Krishnan will serve as Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy."

Krishnan, 41, acknowledged the offer and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity by saying, “I'm honoured to be able to serve our country and ensure continued American leadership in AI working closely with @DavidSacks. Thank you @realDonaldTrump for this opportunity.”

Krishnan's appointment intensified the debate over H1B visas and immigration policy. Laura Loomer, a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, had earlier criticised Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as “not America First policy”.

Krishnan has previously supported removing per-country caps for green cards, a stance that has sparked mixed reactions. While some Trump supporters back this approach, citing its potential to fill critical gaps in the tech workforce, others see it as conflicting with the administration's broader immigration goals.