‘A nasty person’: Trump slams London Mayor Sadiq Khan again on visit to Scotland
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (left) and his wife Victoria Starmer with US President Donald Trump, ahead of their meeting at the Trump Turnberry golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, on July 28.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
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TURNBERRY, Britain – US President Donald Trump attacked London Mayor Sadiq Khan once again at a press conference in Scotland alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who interjected that Mr Khan was his “friend”.
When asked by a reporter if he intended to visit London in September during a state visit, Mr Trump responded affirmatively, but then clarified: “I’m not a fan of your mayor. I think he’s done a terrible job.”
He added: “The mayor of London... a nasty person.”
The comments prompted Mr Starmer to state: “He’s a friend of mine, actually.”
But doubling down on his view of Mr Khan, Mr Trump went on: “I think he’s done a terrible job. But I would certainly visit London.”
There is no love lost between Mr Trump and Mr Khan, who, like Mr Starmer, is a member of the Labour Party.
In January, on the eve of Mr Trump’s return to the White House, Mr Khan penned an article warning of Western “reactionary populists” posing a “century-defining challenge” for progressives.
During his first term in power, Mr Khan also became embroiled in a war of words after speaking out against a US travel ban on people from certain Muslim countries.
Mr Trump then accused Mr Khan, the first Muslim mayor of a Western capital when he was first elected in 2016, of doing a “very bad job on terrorism”, calling him a “stone-cold loser” and “very dumb”.
In a podcast recorded before Mr Trump’s re-election on Nov 5, 2024, Mr Khan accused the incoming president of targeting him because of the colour of his skin.
“He’s come for me because of, let’s be frank, my ethnicity and my religion,” he said.
But, in an interview with AFP in December, Mr Khan said the American people had “spoken loudly and clearly” and “we have got to respect the outcome of the presidential election”.
In a statement later on July 28, a spokesperson for Mr Khan said the mayor was “delighted that President Trump wants to come to the greatest city in the world”, adding: “He’d see how our diversity makes us stronger, not weaker; richer, not poorer.” AFP
