On his unofficial summer trip to the United Kingdom, US President Donald Trump revived his running feud with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, labeling him "a nasty person" and stating he had done a "terrible job" running Britain's capital.
The comments were made on Monday, July 28, during a press conference at Trump's Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire, Scotland.
Trump, speaking to reporters with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, was queried as to whether he would be visiting London during his visit. In reply, he launched once again into a damning critique of Khan, saying, "I'm not a great fan of your mayor. I think he's done a terrible job … a nasty person. But I would certainly visit London, yeah."
His acerbic remarks seemed to take Prime Minister Starmer by surprise. The British leader, seated next to Trump, quickly provided a retort, stating, "He's a friend of mine, actually."
London's two-term mayor and senior Labour politician Sadiq Khan reacted with typical aplomb. In a statement issued shortly after Trump's words, Khan declared that he would be glad to see the former President in "the world's greatest city." He asserted London's diversity and inclusivity are the source of its strength and added dryly, "Perhaps these are the reasons why a record number of Americans have applied for British citizenship under his presidency."
The animus between Trump and Khan is nothing new. Their very public exchanges go back to Trump's initial presidential term, with him criticizing Khan for his response to the 2017 London Bridge terror attack and going so far as to challenge him to take an IQ test. In advance of a 2019 UK state visit, Trump took to Twitter to send a barrage of tough tweets calling Khan a "stone cold loser" and blaming him for getting crime out of control in London. He also called the mayor "dumb" and "incompetent."
Khan has not been shy himself, however. He has called Trump "a poster boy for racists," and in an interview on the High Performance podcast, hinted that the former President singled him out because of his ethnicity and Muslim faith.
Although there is renewed tension, Trump will be returning to the UK for a formal state visit between September 17 and 19. He has accepted an invitation from King Charles III, which would represent his second state visit — a never-before-done act. He will be joined by former First Lady Melania Trump, and the visit will be at Windsor Castle.
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