Trump criticizes mayor, again
U.S. president lashes out at London’s Khan on Twitter for second day about handling of deadly terror attack
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at London’s mayor on Twitter for a second day in the wake of a deadly terror attack in the city.
Trump stated on Twitter on Monday morning that London Mayor Sadiq Khan had offered a “pathetic excuse” and “had to think fast on his ‘no reason to be alarmed’ statement.”
Trump’s tweet renews his mischaracterization of Khan’s statement to London residents following a vehicle and knife attack that left seven people dead and dozens injured. The mayor had told London residents not to be concerned by a stepped-up police presence in the city after the incident.
In a Sunday tweet, Trump mischaracterized Khan’s remarks by suggesting the mayor had said there was “no reason to be alarmed” about the attack itself. Khan’s spokesperson said he was too busy to respond to Trump’s “ill-informed” tweet.
On Monday, a spokesperson for Khan responded to the latest statement from Trump, saying: “Nothing has changed since yesterday.” He said: “The mayor is focused on dealing with Saturday’s horrific and cowardly attack and working with the police, the emergency services and the government to keep London safe.”
Asked if Trump was wrong to make the comments, British Prime Minister Theresa May said at a news conference Monday: “Sadiq Khan is doing a good job and it’s wrong to say anything else — he’s doing a good job.”
White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said Monday that Trump was not “picking a fight with the mayor of London at all.” She also pushed back against criticism the president had mischaracterized Khan’s remarks, saying “the media wants to spin it that way.”
Asked if Trump was criticizing the mayor of London because he is Muslim, Sanders said that was “utterly ridiculous.”
Trump’s latest missive at Khan was part of several Monday morning tweeted statements from the president. Trump also lashed out at his own justice department for seeking a “watered down” version of the travel ban he signed in March instead of a broader directive that was also blocked by the courts.
The war of words was the latest episode in a long simmering feud between Trump and Khan, a Muslim elected as London’s mayor in May 2016. After his election, Khan tweeted criticism of then-candidate Trump’s rhetoric, saying his “ignorant view of Islam could make both our countries less safe. It risks alienating mainstream Muslims.” Trump later challenged Khan to an IQ test during an interview on ITV.
On Monday, senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway condemned what she called the media’s “obsession with covering everything he says on Twitter and very little of what he does as president.”