United States (US) President Donald Trump has said that he “didn’t want” London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan at the state banquet hosted by King Charles at Windsor Castle, days after the latter criticised him.
In 2019, the mayor accused President Trump of “fanning the flames of divisive, far-right politics” and warned of “a toxic form of politics spilling out onto our streets.”
On Wednesday, the London mayor renewed his criticism, saying Trump had emboldened extremists, cautioning that “those who seek to divide us will not win.”
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One while heading back to the US, President Trump labelled Sadiq “among the worst mayors in the world,” claiming the mayor had wanted to attend the event. “I asked that he not be there,” he claimed.
Echoing his past attacks on the mayor’s governing of London, he called him a “disaster” on immigration. “I think he’s done a terrible job. Crime in London is through the roof,” he added.
He added, “I’ve not liked him for a long time. I have a certain pride in London, in the UK, my mother was born in Scotland, and when I see Mayor Khan do a bad job – the stabbings, the dirt and the filth – it’s not the same. I didn’t want him there.”
The row between Trump and Khan dates back to 2015 when the Labour politician castigated Trump’s suggestion that Muslims should be banned from travelling to the US. A year later, Trump challenged the mayor to an IQ test.