London Mayor Sadiq Khan criticized US President Donald Trump’s approach as promoting fear and division, following reports that Trump requested Khan be excluded from a recent state banquet. Despite Trump’s claims that Khan wanted an invitation, sources close to Khan vehemently denied this, accusing Trump of demeaning London, a city they described as a global success story.
During his return flight to the US after his UK state visit, Trump continued his verbal attacks on Khan, labeling him a “disaster” on immigration and one of the worst mayors globally. Trump also revealed that he had requested Khan not attend the state banquet, citing differences in political views.
The ongoing feud between Trump and Khan dates back to previous confrontations, including Trump challenging Khan to an IQ test in 2016 and branding him a “stone cold loser” just before his first state visit to the UK in 2019. Khan had also criticized Trump and his associates for fueling divisive far-right politics worldwide.
In an opinion piece for The Guardian coinciding with Trump’s state visit, Khan emphasized the importance of unity against fear-mongering tactics, calling on Londoners to stand up against divisive rhetoric.