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President Donald Trump has claimed he personally blocked London Mayor Sadiq Khan from attending the Windsor Castle state banquet during his controversial UK visit.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he “didn’t want [Khan] there” and launched a fresh attack on the mayor’s record.
“I think the Mayor of London, Khan, is among the worst mayors in the world, and we have some bad ones,” Trump said. “I think he’s done a terrible job. Crime in London is through the roof. I asked that he not be [at the banquet]. He wanted to be there, as I understand, I didn’t want him. I’ve not liked him for a long time.”
Khan swiftly hit back, pointing out that a “record number of Americans” are moving to London, suggesting the city’s global appeal contradicts Trump’s criticism.
A source close to the mayor added: “Trump’s politics is one of fear and division. This includes talking down our great capital city. London is a global success story. It’s open, dynamic and safer than major US cities. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons record numbers of Americans are choosing to make London their home.”
However, Metro reports that Khan had no intention of attending the banquet and that City Hall “didn’t expect or seek” an invitation. Despite being a Privy Counsellor and former government minister, the London mayor is not normally invited to such events. He did, however, attend a white-tie dinner at Mansion House in December 2024 for the Emir of Qatar’s state visit.
The feud between Trump and Khan stretches back years. In 2015, Khan criticised Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the US. Trump later attacked Khan’s response to the 2017 London Bridge terrorist attack, tweeting: “At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack, and Mayor of London says there is ‘no reason to be alarmed!’”
In 2018, Khan allowed the now-famous Trump baby blimp to fly over London during protests against the US president’s visit, saying:
“I shouldn’t be the arbiter, as a politician, of what’s in good taste or bad taste. What’s important is that it’s peaceful and safe. And, frankly, the idea that we limit the right to protest or free speech because it may offend a foreign leader is a very, very slippery slope.”
Trump’s latest remarks came shortly after Marine One, carrying him and First Lady Melania, suffered a hydraulic issue before landing at Stansted Airport. Boarding Air Force One afterward, he joked: “Fly safely. You know why I say that? Because I’m on the flight. Otherwise, I wouldn’t care.”
