Trump calls Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, a “nasty person”

Trump describes London Mayor Sadiq Khan as “a nasty person” and claims that he has performed a “terrible job” during a press conference in Scotland.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump rekindled his long-running conflict with London Mayor Sadiq Khan by referring to him as a “nasty person” who has “done a terrible job” in his role as the British capital’s leader. During a news conference at the Trump Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire, where the president is now on a four-day informal summer visit, the acerbic remarks were made.

“I don’t like your mayor,” Trump said to reporters. “I think the mayor of London has done a terrible job. He’s a nasty person.”

During the press conference, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who was sitting next to the president, briefly looked uneasy before defending Khan. “I actually consider him a friend,” Starmer remarked.

Mayor Sadiq Khan’s spokesperson responded to Trump’s latest assault by saying the mayor was “delighted that President Trump wants to come to the greatest city in the world.”

“He would understand how our diversity makes us richer, not poorer; stronger, not weaker,” the representative continued. “Under his presidency, a record number of Americans have applied for British citizenship; perhaps these are the reasons.”

Only a few weeks have passed since Trump publicly accepted King Charles III’s invitation to make a second state visit to the UK, an extraordinary gesture. It is anticipated that Windsor Castle will host the president and First Lady Melania Trump during their September 17–19 visit.

While the White House has classified the trip to Scotland as “private,” mostly for the purpose of touring his golf courses in South Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire, the president has taken use of the occasion to rekindle old rivalries and offer his opinion on UK politics.

Khan has previously been the target of Trump’s ire. He referred to the mayor of London as a “stone cold loser” in 2019 shortly after arriving at Stansted Airport for a prior state visit. The remark was directed at Khan for publicly criticizing Trump’s scheduled visit and his handling of important issues, such as the 2017 London Bridge terror attack. Trump even asked the mayor to take an IQ test at one point.

Sadiq Khan, who was elected mayor a third time in 2024, has continuously criticized Trump’s remarks, calling them divisive and inconsistent with London’s ideals.