Former US President Donald Trump has launched a fresh verbal assault on London Mayor Sadiq Khan, making sensational claims about the city's safety during a GB News interview. Trump asserted that London has become so dangerous that people are 'being stabbed in the ass or worse', while labelling Khan a 'terrible mayor' and 'a disaster'.
The GB News Interview and Trump's Claims
In his discussion with presenter Bev Turner, Trump was presented with the suggestion that London has a significant crime problem, though no specific statistics were referenced. The former president seized on this, launching into a critique of Khan's leadership. He contrasted the modern city with the London his mother loved, claiming she would recognise 'a different London than what you have today'.
Trump's colourful language about stabbings formed part of his ongoing feud with the Labour mayor, now in his third term and potentially considering a fourth. The interview did not provide specific examples to support Trump's graphic claims about violence in the capital.
What the Crime Statistics Actually Show
While Trump painted a picture of a city in crisis, official figures present a more nuanced reality. According to Home Office data, the Metropolitan Police recorded 101 homicides in the year to June, representing a slight decrease from 107 the previous year.
Analysis of crime trends from 2016 to 2024 reveals a complex picture:
- Knife and sharp instrument offences have increased by 64 points, from 105 to 169 offences per 1,000 population
- Homicide rates have remained relatively level, averaging around 100 murders annually
- Firearms offences have decreased from 18 to 14 per 1,000 population
The Mayor's office has emphasised that London recorded the lowest number of homicides of under-25s for over two decades last year. They also note that overall homicides are at a ten-year low, with London's rate comparing favourably to other major European cities including Paris, Brussels, Berlin, and Madrid.
A Long-Running Political Feud
This latest exchange continues a political conflict dating back to at least 2015, when Khan condemned Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from travelling to the United States. The tension escalated following the London Bridge terror attack, when Trump criticised Khan's response.
In 2018, the feud took a more theatrical turn when Khan's office approved an inflatable 'baby Trump' balloon to fly over Parliament Square during the president's UK visit. Khan has previously suggested he lives 'rent-free in Trump's head', responding to earlier claims from Trump that London wanted to 'go to sharia law'.
The mayor told MyLondon: 'I'm not sure what it is people wonder why it is this Muslim mayor who leads a liberal, multicultural, successful, diverse city seems to be living rent-free in Donald Trump's head.'
Despite the heated rhetoric, data suggests that Londoners are actually less likely to be victims of violence with injury than people across the rest of England and Wales, with 26.4 offences per 1,000 Londoners compared to 31.88 nationally.
