Don’t roll out the red carpet for Trump state visit says Khan as he reignites feud
LONDON mayor Sadiq Khan has reignited his feud with Donald Trump, saying the UK should not ‘roll out the red carpet’ for him on a state visit.
Mr Khan, who has already fought the US president over immigration and terrorism, risked reopening hostilities with the White House over Theresa May’s invitation to the US president.
Mrs May is ‘ delighted’ that Mr Trump accepted the Queen’s invitation to make a state visit later in the year. But the Labour mayor told CNN: ‘State visits are different from a normal visit and, at a time when the president of the USA has policies that many in our country disagree with, I am not sure it is appropriate for our government to roll out the red carpet.’
In remarks clearly addressed to Mr Trump, he added: ‘If someone has views that I think can be changed, I am ready to play my role. If you somehow think it is not possible to be a Muslim and a proud westerner I am happy to disabuse you of that idea, whether you are a reporter for CNN or Donald Trump.’
The two politicians have been sparring for months, with the Muslim mayor taking exception to Mr Trump’s fiery calls during the election campaign for a ‘total and complete shutdown of Muslims’ to fight terrorism.
Weeks after becoming mayor in May last year, Mr Khan – the son of Pakistani immigrants – accused David Cameron and Con- servative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith of ‘employing tactics straight out of the Donald Trump playbook’ by portraying him as an extremist.
Mr Trump said at the time he was ‘happy’ London had elected its first Muslim mayor and suggested he might be an ‘exception’ to his proposed Muslim travel ban. Mr Khan retorted that Mr Trump had ‘ignorant views about Islam’ and hoped Hillary Clinton would ‘trounce’ him in the election.
Mr Trump vowed to ‘remember’ Mr Khan’s ‘nasty statements’.
The sparring match may have been a factor in Mr Trump’s reluctance to visit Britain. He reportedly told Mrs May in a phone call earlier this month that he doesn’t want to go ahead with the visit until the British public supports him coming.
The White House has denied claims that Mr Trump is worried by mass protests if he comes. However, his decision to visit French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris last week was widely seen as a snub to Britain.
PRESIDENT Trump said he wants to let the healthcare legislation brought in by President Obama collapse so he can bring in a new system. During an impromptu photo session at the White House, he said: ‘I’ve been saying for a very long time, “Let Obamacare fail and then everybody is going to have to come together and fix it, and come up with a new plan.” I think we’re probably in that position where we’ll let Obamacare fail.’
President Trump had hoped to follow through with his flagship campaign policy to ‘repeal and replace’ Obamacare.
But the Republicans’ plan to replace the policy collapsed on Monday after senators said they would not back it.
WITH insufferable arrogance, London Mayor Sadiq Khan says the UK should not ‘roll out the red carpet’ for President Donald Trump’s state visit.
Leave aside that such occasions are matters for the Queen – and no business of an ambitious, jumped-up local politician. Forget, too, that Mr Khan raised little objection to the full royal treatment for a string of dictators on previous state visits.
Whatever anyone may think of Mr Trump, he is the elected leader of Britain’s most powerful friend and ally, the torchbearer for democracy whose people fought and died beside us in two world wars.
Can’t Mr Khan see what harm he and his like have already inflicted on Britain by delaying the US President’s visit with their threats of protests, while Mr Trump went to France instead?
How many Parisian businessmen are now rubbing their hands over fat American contracts that might have gone to London?
The posturing Mr Khan should put his responsibilities first – and stop thinking only of his own career.