Sadiq Khan has accused Donald Trump of being “racist, sexist, misogynistic and Islamophobic” after the US president used a speech at the United Nations to denounce the London mayor.
Speaking before the general assembly in New York, Trump described Khan as “a terrible, terrible mayor” and claimed London “now wants to go to Sharia law” – remarks that reignited their long-running feud.
Responding in an interview with BBC London, Khan said: “People are wondering what it is about this Muslim mayor who leads a liberal, multi-cultural, progressive and successful city, that means I appear to be living rent-free inside Donald Trump’s head.”
He added: “I think President Trump has shown he is racist, he is sexist, he is misogynistic and he is Islamophobic. When people say things, when people act in a certain way, when people behave in a certain way, you’ve got to believe them.”
Khan rejected Trump’s claim that London was “going to Sharia law”, pointing instead to record numbers of American visitors and the city’s cultural dominance. “Different criteria show London is often the number one city on the globe when it comes to culture,” he said.
Cabinet minister Pat McFadden defended the mayor, saying the pair had “had a beef for some years” but insisting only British law applies in the UK. Justice minister Sarah Sackman told parliament earlier this month that Sharia law “forms no part of the law of England and Wales”, though voluntary religious councils – including Christian, Jewish and Islamic tribunals – may arbitrate on spiritual or marital matters. Their rulings, however, carry no legal weight.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, urged people to “never take what Trump says literally, ever, on anything, but always take everything he says seriously”. He acknowledged that while Sharia is “an issue in London”, it is not “overwhelming” and that Khan has not been directly linked to it.
Trump has a long history of public spats with Khan. In 2019 he called him a “stone cold loser”, and more recently branded him “a nasty person” during a trip to Scotland. Earlier this year, Trump told reporters he did not want the mayor present at a state banquet at Windsor Castle, calling him “among the worst mayors in the world”.
