Make no mistake: The vast majority of Asian-Americans favor Hillary Clinton. According to the National Asian American Survey for Fall 2016, Clinton enjoys an almost 4-to-1 advantage over Trump — 55 percent vs. 14 percent — with about 1 in 5 still undecided.
Indian Americans tend to lean left, fitting the larger trend among Americans of Asian descent. But a growing number of Hindu Indians support Trump because of his anti-Muslim rhetoric — and Trump has capitalized on this.
In a speech in New Jersey, Trump pledged that he would support Indians and crack down against Muslim extremism. Those strong words from Trump resonated with many Indians, who have seen their country repeatedly struck by terrorism, the most significant example being the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 which killed more than 200 people.
A vocal, right-wing political group, Hindu Sena, called Trump a "hero," due in part to his ability to "save humanity from Islam and Islamic terror."
Trump's commentary also comes at a time when tensions have been elevated between India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir.