Trump: Mayor is pathetic Khan: Scrap his state visit
‘Shouldn’t roll out the red carpet’
SADIQ Khan last night urged ministers to axe Donald Trump’s state visit, after the President stepped up his attack on the mayor’s response to the London atrocity.
President Trump received a rare rebuke from Theresa May yesterday over his jibe at Mr Khan on Sunday, which mocked the mayor’s statement that there was ‘no need to be alarmed’ by an increased police presence.
Mrs May initially ducked questions on the issue at a press conference yesterday, before saying: ‘I think Sadiq Khan is doing a good job and it’s wrong to say anything else.’
Mr Khan said Mr Trump’s state visit should not go ahead. ‘I don’t think we should roll out the red carpet to the president of the USA in the circumstances, where his policies go against everything we stand for,’ he told Channel 4 News. ‘When you have a special relationship it is no different from when you have got a close mate. You stand with them in times of adversity but you call them out when they are wrong. There are many things about which Donald Trump is wrong.’
But the President brushed aside the slapdown last night, issuing a fresh Twitter attack on Mr Khan branding him ‘pathetic’.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron also said Mr Trump’s decision to go on the offensive in the wake of a major terrorist incident should disqualify him from making a state visit to Britain later this year.
The Prime Minister granted the honour to Mr Trump just days after he took office in January. The trip, in which he and his wife Melania will be hosted by the Queen, is due to take place in October.
Labelling the President ‘ an embarrassment to America’, Mr Farron added: ‘Theresa May must withdraw the state visit. This is a man insulting our national values at a time of introspection and mourning.’
Mr Khan appeared to criticise Mr Trump yesterday while addressing police funding. He noted that London has other responsibilities due to its status as a capital city, ‘from major events … to state visits – some welcome, some less so’.
Their row began in January, when Mr Khan labelled the President’s travel ban ‘ shameful and wrong’. Mr Trump re-ignited it on Sunday after Mr Khan issued a statement, saying: ‘Londoners will see an increased police presence today and over the course of the next few days. There’s no reason to be alarmed.’
Mr Trump interpreted these remarks as suggesting people should not be alarmed by the sec- ond terror attack to hit the capital in three months. He wrote on Twitter: ‘At least seven dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and mayor of London says there is “no reason to be alarmed!”’
The President suggested the London attacks vindicated his opposition to gun control, saying: ‘Do you notice we are not having a gun debate right now? That’s because they used knives and a truck!’
The London mayor’s office responded by saying he had ‘more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump’s illinformed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks’.
But last night, Mr Trump stepped up the row, posting another mes- sage on Twitter, saying: ‘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!’
Mr Trump’s attack on the mayor has alarmed some senior US figures. Lewis Lukens, acting US ambassador to the UK, said: ‘I
commend the strong leadership of the mayor of London as he leads the city forward after this heinous attack.’
New York mayor Bill de Blasio added: ‘Mayor Sadiq Khan is doing an extraordinary job … President Trump’s attack on him is unacceptable.’
Mr Khan last night dismissed the President’s criticism, saying: ‘I’ve been busy dealing with the terrorist incident – I haven’t got time to deal with tweets from Donald Trump.’
A White House spokesman said it was ‘utterly ridiculous’ to suggest the President had targeted Mr Khan because he is a Muslim and denied Mr Trump was ‘picking a fight’.
She added: ‘The President has been extremely clear that we stand in complete solidarity with the UK.’