London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has said once again that US President Donald Trump is “obsessed” with him, following another round of criticism from the Republican leader. In an interview with LBC on Sunday, Sir Sadiq said Mr Trump’s repeated attacks were “sticks and stones” and questioned why the leader of the free world was focusing on him rather than global crises.
He said: “I’m slightly curious and concerned why the leader of the free world, who’s got so many challenges in the Middle East, in Ukraine, issues around the climate emergency, issues around trade, is spending time talking about me.”
Asked if Mr Trump was obsessed with him, Sir Sadiq added: “Well, look at the evidence. Every opportunity the President gets when there’s a microphone placed in front of him, he appears to be obsessing about me. And I’m unclear why.”
The comments follow a POLITICO interview earlier this week in which Mr Trump suggested that people who “come in” to Britain helped put Sir Sadiq in office. Sir Sadiq said at the time: “I think it’s for President Trump to explain what he means by that. I’m unclear.”
Mr Trump told POLITICO that European nations were “decaying” and criticised “weak” leaders, singling out Sir Sadiq. He said: “If you take a look at London, you have a mayor named Khan. He’s a horrible mayor.
« He’s an incompetent mayor, but he’s a horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor. I think he’s done a terrible job. London’s a different place. I love London. I love London. And I hate to see it happen. You know, my roots are in Europe, as you know. »
Sir Sadiq said politicians and commentators were critical of London because they were uneasy about its success as a progressive, liberal, and diverse city.
He said: “They seem to feel insecure that a city that is progressive, that is liberal, that is diverse, that is multicultural, is so incredibly successful. I think their nervousness and worry is it’s the antithesis, it’s the antidote, to all they stand for, which is unilateralism, which is nativism, which is protectionism. »
Asked if Mr Trump’s attacks were racially motivated, Sir Sadiq said: “Some of the things President Trump has said and done lead me to believe he’s a President who is racist, who is misogynistic and who is Islamophobic. And I’d go further. I think he’s somebody who is anti-Muslim as well.”
Sir Sadiq also highlighted London’s global appeal. He explained: “I suspect that’s one of the reasons why we have record numbers of Americans coming here to holiday, coming here to live, coming here to invest, or coming here to study.
“I literally have no idea why President Trump is so obsessed with this mayor of London. I’m not sure what he’s got against a liberal, progressive, diverse, successful city like London.”
The feud between the two leaders has been ongoing since Sir Sadiq became London’s first Muslim mayor in 2016. The latest round of comments underscores the continued attention Mr Trump pays to the London Mayor, despite the US President facing a range of international issues.
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