London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has said Donald Trump “appears to have a crush” on him after the US President revived their long-standing feud by calling him “grossly incompetent” and a “bad person”. Speaking at the launch of his Heat Ready Plan at Islington fire station in north-east London, Khan told the Press Association: “I’m not sure why I’m living rent free inside President Trump’s head.”
Trump’s Oval Office remarks spark fresh row
Trump made the comments in the White House’s Oval Office on Wednesday, describing Khan as a “horrible representative” for the UK. “I don’t want to cause any problems, but your Mayor of London is grossly incompetent,” Trump told reporters. The attack reignited a feud that has simmered for over a decade.
Khan responded by suggesting Trump’s animosity stems from London’s success. “Last week, London won the Lee Kuan Yew Prize as the world’s best city. That’s probably why President Trump is upset,” he said. The Lee Kuan Yew Prize, a prestigious urban planning award, was presented to London in Singapore in June.
Decade-long spat over Islam, IQ tests, and terror attacks
The Khan-Trump feud dates back to 2015, when Khan, then a Labour MP, condemned Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the US. After Khan became mayor in 2016, he called Trump’s views on Islam “ignorant”, prompting Trump to challenge him to an IQ test. The row escalated after the 2017 London Bridge terror attack, when Trump misquoted Khan as saying “there is ‘no reason to be alarmed!'” – Khan had actually said the public should not be alarmed by an increased police presence.
Khan told the Press Association: “I’m not quite clear why this man appears to have a crush on me. All I would say is it could be because I’m the mayor of a progressive, multicultural, liberal, successful city.”
Khan rules out return to Westminster, praises Starmer
Khan also dismissed speculation he might return to national politics, following Andy Burnham’s swearing-in as an MP on Monday. Burnham, formerly metro mayor of Greater Manchester, was elected as an MP in a by-election. “No, I’ve got the best job in politics,” Khan said. “I’m looking forward to working with Andy Burnham as the new prime minister, and he’s a friend. We were in cabinet together, we’re in shadow cabinet together, we were metro mayors together, and I’ve set him up for a few goals as well. So, I’m sure he’ll remember that when he’s prime minister.”
Khan expressed sadness over Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement on Monday that he will resign as Prime Minister. He praised Starmer for turning the Labour Party around after its “devastating” 2019 general election defeat.
