Sadiq Khan and Trump: London Mayor hits back after US President said he 'didn't want' him at banquet - why does Trump hate him?
Donald Trump has claimed he blocked the London mayor from attending the Windsor Castle state banquet as he “didn’t want” him there.
The US president took a dig at Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, as he was flying out of the UK after Trump and Melania’s state visit. Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One, Trump branded him as “one of the worst mayors”.
Trump said: “I think the Mayor of London Khan is among the worst mayors in the world, and we have some bad ones. 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.” The BBC understands that Sir Sadiq did not seek or expect an invite to the state banquet, and a source close to the mayor said Trump's politics sowed "fear and division".
It has intensified the feud between the pair. Back in 2019 Trump called the mayor "a stone-cold loser" and Sir Sadiq accusing him of stirring up far-right politics.
Trump echoed his past attacks on the mayor's governing of London, calling him a "disaster" on immigration. A source close to the London mayor told Metro: “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.” The pair's long-running row dates back to 2015 when the Labour politician condemned Trump's suggestion that Muslims should be banned from travelling to the US. A year later, Trump challenged the mayor to an IQ test.
The US leader also attacked the mayor's handling of the London Bridge terror attack in 2017. During the US leader's first state visit in 2019, Sir Sadiq permitted a plan to fly a giant inflatable "Trump baby" blimp to coincide with his trip.
In July, Trump took another swipe at the mayor during a press conference with Sir Keir Starmer in Scotland, calling Sir Sadiq a "nasty person", to which the prime minister interjected saying: "He's a friend of mine, actually."