Trump launches new attack on Khan

Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on London mayor Sadiq Khan, hours after Prime Minister Theresa May suggested the US president was wrong to criticise him.

Mr Trump, during a series of tweets following the London Bridge terrorist assault, misrepresented Mr Khan’s statement that there was “no reason to be alarmed” when seeking to reassure Londoners.

This prompted Mr Khan’s spokesman to state the mayor has “more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump’s ill-informed” tweet, before Mr Khan later suggested he does not regard Mr Trump’s planned state visit as welcome.

Mr Trump continued to criticise Mr Khan, tweeting yesterday: “Pathetic excuse by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who had to think fast on his ‘no reason to be alarmed’ statement. MSM [mainstream media] is working hard to sell it!” The president’s initial criticism of Mr Khan was based on a clear misinterpretation of some of the mayor’s comments in the wake of the atrocity.

Speaking on the BBC, Mr Khan made clear that he was advising people not to be concerned by the presence of additional armed police officers on the streets of the capital in the days to come, and not playing down anxieties about the attack itself.