London Mayor Sadiq Khan humorously suggested that President Donald Trump might have a fascination with him as their longstanding feud was reignited. The two politicians have been trading insults since 2015, culminating in Trump accusing Khan of supporting Sharia law during a peculiar UN General Assembly speech. Khan retaliated by criticizing Trump as racist, sexist, misogynistic, and Islamophobic.
The recent escalation in their war of words occurred when Trump unexpectedly criticized Khan as a “bad person” and a “horrible representative” for the UK during a press briefing in the Oval Office. Khan, speaking at the launch of his Heat Ready Plan in Islington, dismissed Trump’s comments, stating, “I’m not sure why I’m living rent-free inside President Trump’s head. I’m not quite clear why this man appears to have a crush on me. You know, all I would say is it could be because I’m the mayor of a progressive, multicultural, liberal, successful city.”
Khan highlighted that London was awarded the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Prize in urban planning in June, which may have triggered Trump’s latest outburst. The feud between Khan and Trump began a decade ago when Khan criticized Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the US. Subsequently, Trump challenged Khan to an IQ test after the mayor labeled his views on Islam as ignorant.
Their differences escalated following the 2017 London Bridge terror attack, with Trump misquoting Khan’s statement about the incident. Khan clarified that he had urged the public not to be alarmed by the increased police presence after the attack.
In response to questions about his political future, Khan expressed contentment with his current role as mayor and ruled out a return to Westminster. He also praised Andy Burnham, a fellow metro mayor and former cabinet colleague, and expressed confidence in Burnham’s potential as a future prime minister. Additionally, Khan commended Sir Keir Starmer for revitalizing the Labour Party after the 2019 general election defeat.