President ridiculed over London ‘war zone’ comments

PRESIDENT DONALD Trump was ridiculed in the Commons after he claimed London was “as bad as a military war zone”.

The US leader made the comments over the weekend in a speech to the National Rifle Association in which he cited the surge in knife crime in the capital. He said: “They say it’s as bad as a military war zone hospital. Knives, knives, knives, knives,” while making a stabbing motion.

Solicitor General Robert Buckland, speaking in the Commons, mocked the assertion – telling MPs Mr Trump was attempting to “channel Sean Connery in The

Untouchables”, referencing the quote “bringing a knife to a gunfight”.

The comment came after a question from Tory MP Damian Collins (Folkestone and Hythe) who asked: “Following Donald Trump’s speech to the National Rifle Association, would the Solicitor General agree with me the streets of London would be far more dangerous for communities if criminal and gang members were armed with automatic weapons rather than knives?

“Would he also agree that longer sentences for knife offenders are important, but we need to do more to understand the underlying causes of knife crime and gang violence?”

Mr Buckland said: “He is right addressing the issue on the need to tackle the underlying reasons for knife crime, whether it be gangs or young people in isolation.”