Why I made sure London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, was excluded from state banquet – Trump

United States President, Donald Trump, has reignited his feud with London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, telling reporters he personally ensured Khan was excluded from the state banquet at Windsor Castle.

Speaking aboard Air Force One on his return to Washington, Trump branded the Labour mayor “among the worst mayors in the world” and claimed: “I asked that he not be there.”

It was gathered that Khan never expected an invitation to the royal event, and a source close to the mayor dismissed Trump’s comments, accusing the president of pushing “fear and division.”

The remarks are the latest flashpoint in a long-running clash between the pair. Trump first targeted Khan in 2016, challenging him to an IQ test, and later in 2019 called him a “stone-cold loser.” The mayor has repeatedly accused Trump of stoking far-right politics.

On this trip, Trump repeated familiar criticisms of London’s crime rate and immigration. “I think the Mayor of London Khan is among the worst mayors in the world, and we have some bad ones,” he said. “I think he’s done a terrible job. Crime in London is through the roof. I asked that he not be there. He wanted to be there, as I understand, I didn’t want him.”

In response, a source close to Khan defended the capital’s record. “Trump’s politics is one of fear and division. This includes talking down our great capital city. London is a global success story – it’s open, dynamic and safer than major US cities. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons record numbers of Americans are choosing to make London their home.”

Their feud stretches back years. Khan criticised Trump’s call to ban Muslims from entering the United States in 2015. Trump later attacked the mayor’s handling of the London Bridge terror attack in 2017, while Khan allowed the now-famous “Trump baby” blimp to fly during the president’s first state visit in 2019.

Just weeks before this latest visit, Trump labelled Khan a “nasty person” during a press conference in Scotland, prompting Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to step in with: “He’s a friend of mine, actually.”

Although the state visit was designed to showcase strong UK-US ties, it was overshadowed by widespread demonstrations. Thousands gathered in Parliament Square to protest Trump’s presence, while four men were arrested after images of Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were projected onto Windsor Castle on the eve of the banquet.

(BBC)