President Donald Trump reignited his long-standing feud with London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan during a press conference in Scotland on Monday, July 28, calling the Labour politician a “nasty person” who has done a “terrible job”, while sitting alongside UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
The incident occurred during an impromptu news conference at Trump Turnberry, the President’s golf resort in South Ayrshire, Scotland. When asked by a journalist if he planned to visit London during his upcoming state visit in September, Trump responded affirmatively but then launched into his criticism of Khan.
Trump stated, “I’m not a fan of your mayor. I think he’s done a terrible job, the Mayor of London… a nasty person.” The comments created an awkward moment for Starmer, who was sitting beside the president following their bilateral meeting.
Starmer immediately intervened to defend his Labour Party colleague, telling Trump that Khan was his friend. Despite this defense, Trump doubled down on his criticism, reiterating that he believed Khan had done a terrible job while confirming he would still visit London during his state visit.
Khan’s office responded to Trump’s comments with a defiant statement. A spokesperson for the London Mayor indicated that Khan was delighted Trump wanted to visit what they described as the greatest city in the world. The spokesperson suggested Trump would see how diversity makes London stronger and richer, not weaker and poorer.
The spokesperson also pointed to what they described as a record number of Americans applying for British citizenship under Trump’s presidency, suggesting this might explain the president’s interest in visiting London.
The exchange marked the latest chapter in a contentious relationship between Trump and Khan that dates back to Trump’s first presidency. In 2019, Trump previously called Khan a “stone cold loser who should focus on crime in London” and challenged him to an IQ test. Khan responded at the time by describing Trump as a “poster boy for racists.”
During a podcast recorded before Trump’s reelection in November 2024, Khan accused the incoming president of targeting him because of his ethnicity and religion. Khan suggested that if he were not a person of color and a practicing Muslim, Trump would not have singled him out for criticism on the world stage.
The tensions between the two men have played out publicly over several years. In 2018, Khan allowed anti-Trump activists to fly a blimp over Parliament depicting Trump as a crying baby during his first state visit to the UK. Khan has also been critical of Trump’s travel ban on people from certain Muslim countries during his first term.
Trump’s visit to Scotland was described as a private trip, with the main purpose being to visit his two golf courses in the country. The president owns Trump International at Menie in Aberdeenshire and Trump Turnberry in South Ayrshire. During his stay, Trump opened a new course dedicated to his Scottish mother, who grew up on the Isle of Lewis.
The press conference also saw Trump praise both Starmer and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, describing them as good men despite their different political positions. Trump characterized Starmer as slightly liberal and Farage as slightly conservative, while acknowledging he did not fully understand UK politics.
Trump’s upcoming state visit to the UK will take place from September 17 to 19, during which he will be hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle. This will mark Trump’s second state visit, an unprecedented gesture for a US president, following his previous invitation to Buckingham Palace in 2019.
The meeting between Trump and Starmer at Turnberry was part of broader discussions covering various international issues, including the situation in Gaza and potential trade arrangements between the US and UK. Both leaders agreed to continue talks on trade deals during their private discussions.
Khan, who was first elected as London’s mayor in 2016 and won reelection for a third term in 2024, remains one of Britain’s most prominent Muslim politicians. An ally of Khan noted that the mayor has won all three elections to his position, including his victory in May 2021, which came months after Trump lost the 2020 US presidential election.