Trump calls London mayor 'terrible' as Khan accuses him of racism and Islamophobia
Trump's UN General Assembly remarks about London and Sharia law spark a testing exchange with London's mayor; Khan denounces the comments while defending the city’s cultural standing.
Donald Trump accused London’s mayor of presiding over a city in decline during remarks at the United Nations General Assembly, prompting a sharp rebuttal from Sir Sadiq Khan who labeled the U.S. president as racist, sexist, misogynistic and Islamophobic.
In New York on Wednesday, Mr. Trump said Europe is “in serious trouble” and warned that London — led by a “terrible, terrible mayor” — has changed for the worse and is moving toward Sharia law. He asserted that London cannot tolerate certain policies and warned that Western Europe’s future could be imperiled if current immigration and energy approaches persist. The remarks marked another flare-up in a long-running dispute between Mr. Trump and Khan, London’s first Muslim mayor.
Khan fired back in an interview with Sky News, saying, “I think people who are wondering what it is about this Muslim mayor who leads a liberal, multicultural, progressive, successful city that means I appear to be living rent free inside Donald Trump’s head.” When pressed on whether Trump’s comments were Islamophobic, Khan answered, “Listen, when people say things, when people act in a certain way, when people behave in a certain way, you’ve got to believe them.” He added, “President Trump has shown he is racist, he is sexist, he is misogynistic and he is Islamophobic.” Khan also noted the benefits he has seen from Americans visiting London and defended the city’s status as a global hub for culture, investment and opportunity.
A spokesperson for Khan later emphasized that London remains safe and welcoming, saying the capital is “the greatest city in the world” and highlighting a stronger-than-average level of US arrivals. The statement also pointed to crime-rate comparisons that cast New York and other U.S. cities in a different light than London, noting London’s homicide rate is materially lower than that of the United States when adjusted per population. The note on Sharia law explained that such councils exist in England but have no legal jurisdiction, a distinction Khan and his office have repeatedly underscored when debating the topic.
The remarks come as Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden dismissed Trump’s attack during media appearances in Britain, calling the accusation a misreading of London and praising the city as a driver of the U.K. economy and culture. He argued that British law applies across the country, including in London, and suggested Trump’s criticisms were part of a broader pattern in which Khan has clashed with the White House for years.
Trump’s visit to the U.K. during the state visit period involved no public events in London itself, with engagements in Windsor and at Chequers rather than Downing Street. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has urged listeners not to take Trump literally but to take his remarks seriously, a stance that reflects the ongoing friction among political figures in Britain over Trump’s rhetoric on immigration and multiculturalism.
The dispute has deep roots. In 2015, Khan condemned then-presidential hopeful Trump’s proposal to bar Muslims from traveling to the United States. The conflict intensified after Trump criticized Khan’s response to the London Bridge attack and culminated in earlier intervals of public back-and-forth, including a 2018 episode when Khan’s office approved an inflatable depiction of Trump as a baby during a visit to Parliament Square. As Trump’s second term began, Khan warned of a broader rise in resurgent fascism around the world, though Khan has repeatedly stressed that he remains focused on issues inside London rather than on personal feuds with the American president.
The exchange underscores a persistent tension over how London is perceived abroad and how its leadership responds to international scrutiny of its policies on immigration, security and social cohesion. While Khan has defended London’s multicultural fabric and resilience, Trump has tied his concerns about Western values to his geopolitical narrative about Europe’s future. The public back-and-forth signals that the London mayoral office and the U.S. presidency will continue to frame the debate over city policy and global attitudes toward Islam and immigration in the months ahead.