US President Donald Trump on Monday reignited his long-running feud with Sadiq Khan, branding the London Mayor a “nasty person” and accusing him of doing a “terrible job” — remarks made while seated beside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a press briefing in Scotland.
When asked if he planned to visit London during his upcoming state trip in September, Trump confirmed he would, but quickly added a sharp dig, saying, “I’m not a fan of your Mayor. I think he has done a terrible job. He is a nasty person. But I would certainly visit London, yeah”.
Starmer, visibly caught off guard, tried to cool the moment by interjecting, “He is a friend of mine, actually”. But Trump doubled down, “I think he has done a terrible job. But I would certainly visit London”.
The exchange created a visibly awkward moment for Starmer, who had just concluded a bilateral meeting with Trump. Khan and Starmer both belong to the Labour Party, adding an extra layer of discomfort to the public rebuke.
Trump and Khan have a long and turbulent history. The animosity dates back to Trump’s first term, when Khan publicly criticised the US travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority nations. Trump retaliated by calling Khan a “stone cold loser” and accused him of doing a “very bad job on terrorism”.
Khan, a three-term mayor and one of the most high-profile Muslim politicians in Europe, has frequently called out Trump for promoting division. In a podcast recorded ahead of Trump’s 2024 re-election, Khan said, “He’s come for me because of, let’s be frank, my ethnicity and my religion”.
Following Trump’s second win, Khan remarked that it was proof “progress is not inevitable” and accused the Trump campaign of unleashing “racism and hatred”.
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