After the president made remarks about him to the United Nations, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said Donald Trump has shown himself to be "racist, sexist, misogynistic, and Islamophobic."
On Tuesday, Trump said London had "a terrible, terrible mayor" and that the city had "been so changed." "Now they want to go to Sharia," he said.
"People are asking what it is about this Muslim mayor, who leads a liberal, multi-cultural, democratic, and prosperous city," Mr Khan said, implying that he is "living rent-free inside Donald Trump's head."
He added, "I think President Trump has demonstrated that he is racist, he is misogynistic, and he's Islamophobic." The mayor continued, "You know, it's important to believe them when people act in a certain way, or people behave in a specific way."
Responding to the president calling him a "terrible mayor," he said he was "thankful" that such a large number of Americans visit London. According to him, London was "one of the world's top cities" when it comes to culture, according to various criteria. The White House has been asked to comment.
On Wednesday, Cabinet Minister Pat McFadden defended Mr Khan.He said the London mayor and the US president "have had a beef for some years," and he denied the suggestion that London intended to "go to" Sharia law. In the UK, he said, British law and "no other kind of law" were followed. Justice Minister Sarah Sackman told the House of Commons that Sharia law was "no part of the legislation of England and Wales."Although religious tribunals, including Sharia councils, do exist in the UK, the bulk of their work is concerned with religious marriage and financial issues. The government has made it clear that their decisions are not legally binding.
According to Nigel Farage, people should "never take what he says literally, ever," with President Trump, but "always take what he says seriously." During an LBC phone-in, he said, "Is it true to say that Sharia is a topic in London? Yes. Is it an overwhelming issue at this point? No. Is the mayor of London explicitly linked himself to it? No." He added, "I think what Trump was aiming for with his big pitch that the West is going to hell is that it's in danger of losing its history, its roots, and its identity."
"Where people choose to appear before those councils, in common with Christian, Jewish, and other faith courts, that is part of religious tolerance, which is a significant British value."
The Church of England's ecclesiastical courts have jurisdiction over certain aspects of church property and criminal conduct by clergy, while Jewish religious tribunals, known as Beth Din, are a voluntary religious tribunal where individuals can resolve disputes based on Jewish law.The Roman Catholic Church has tribunals that address spiritual issues and marriage annulments.
This is not the first time the US leader has criticised Mr Khan. He named London's mayor, who was re-elected for a third term in 2024, a "stone-cold loser." In the past, Trump has challenged Mr Khan to an intelligence test and been dismissive of his response to the London Bridge attack in 2017. The president called Mr Khan "a jerk who had done a bad job" during a visit to Scotland in July. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer intervened as Trump condemned Mr Khan, saying, "He's a friend of mine, actually."
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