U.S. President Donald Trump reignited his long-running feud with London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Monday, calling him “a nasty person” who has done “a terrible job” running the city.
The comments came during a joint press conference in Scotland with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
When asked whether he planned to visit London as part of his upcoming state visit, Trump did not hold back.
Highlights
- Donald Trump called London Mayor Sadiq Khan “a nasty person” and said he has done a “terrible job” running the city during a UK press conference.
- Keir Starmer defended Khan by calling him a friend and laughed off Trump's criticism at the joint briefing in Scotland.
- Trump linked his criticism of Khan to broader concerns about illegal immigration and European governance failures.
- A spokesperson for Khan highlighted London's diversity and noted a record number of Americans applying for British citizenship.
- Trump praised Starmer and Nigel Farage while the two leaders discussed a Gaza ceasefire and a major US-UK trade deal.
“I will, I’m not a fan of your mayor. I think he's done a terrible job, the mayor of London, a nasty person,” he told reporters.
Donald Trump called London Mayor Sadiq Khan ‘a nasty person’
Image credits: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Trump will be in the U.K. in September for a state visit hosted by King Charles III at Windsor Castle.
Starmer, sitting beside Trump, quickly interjected: “He’s a friend of mine, actually,” as Trump spoke over him, “I think he’s done a terrible job.”
Starmer’s brief but pointed comment drew laughter in the room and signaled his support for the London mayor.
During his trip, Trump also told Britain to “get its act together” on illegal migration.
A spokesperson for Khan responded later, saying the mayor was “delighted that President Trump wants to come to the greatest city in the world.”
The spokesperson added: “He’d see how our diversity makes us stronger, not weaker; richer, not poorer.
“Perhaps these are the reasons why a record number of Americans have applied for British citizenship under his presidency.”
Image credits: Ben Montgomery/Getty Images
Trump’s sharp criticism reflects his longstanding dislike of Khan, with whom he has clashed repeatedly since both men took office.
In 2019, Trump called him a “stone-cold loser” and accused him of failing to tackle crime in the capital.
While Trump did not specify what he meant by Khan doing a “terrible job,” his comments on illegal immigration in Europe suggest that he was linking the U.K.’s migration policies to what he views as broader failures in European governance.
In November, when it was announced that Trump had won the U.S. presidential election, Khan refused to join other international leaders in congratulating him.
“An important reminder today for Londoners: our city is—and will always be—for everyone. We will always be pro-women, pro-diversity, pro-climate and pro-human rights. These are some of the values that will continue to bind us together as Londoners,” Khan wrote on X.
Trump and Khan have had a long-running feud, with contrasting ideologies on immigration
On Monday, Trump linked his criticism to wider concerns about immigration in Europe.
“Europe is going to be a much different place than it was just five years ago, 10 years ago,” he said.
“They’ve got to get their act together. You cannot let people come in here illegally… there’ll be murderers, there’ll be drug dealers, there’ll be all sorts of things that other countries don’t want, and they send them to you, and they send them to us.”
Khan, the son of Pakistani immigrants, has frequently defended London’s multicultural character, while Trump has repeatedly claimed that unchecked immigration is undermining European cities.
Image credits: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Despite his criticism of Khan, Trump praised Starmer: “The prime minister, he's been so supportive of us and so strong and so respected, and I respect him much more today than I did before, because I just met his wife and family. He’s got a perfect wife, and that’s never easy to achieve,” Trump said.
He also praised Nigel Farage, the Reform UK party leader and a political rival to Starmer, saying “I like Nigel,” and called him a “friend.”
In 2024, Trump said Farage was “shaking it up pretty good” in British politics.
The meeting between Trump and Starmer, held at Trump’s Turnberry golf resort in South Ayrshire, also covered heavy international issues.
The two leaders reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and discussed economic cooperation between the U.S. and the U.K., including a landmark trade deal described by Trump as a major boost for both economies.
Khan, who was in Nigeria this week on a trade mission, has yet to personally respond to Trump’s latest remarks.
In 2017, ahead of Trump’s state visit, Khan warned that Londoners would not support “rolling out the red carpet” for Donald Trump until his ban on Muslim countries was lifted.
In 2017, Khan called on Trump to lift his travel ban on Muslim countries
Image credits: Tim Clayton/Getty Images
“President Trump’s ban on refugees and immigrants from certain countries is shameful and cruel,” Khan said. “Great friends must warn each other when they are making a mistake,” he said.
He said on the High Performance podcast in November 2024: “It’s personal, let’s be frank. If I wasn’t this color skin, if I wasn’t a practicing Muslim, he wouldn’t have come for me.”
Khan added that he was criticizing “somebody whose policies were sexist, homophobic, Islamophobic, racist” and that he had “a responsibility to speak out.”