During his trip to the UK, Donald Trump admitted to excluding a particular individual from the state banquet at Windsor Castle.
The former US president and his wife Melania recently returned from a short stay across the pond. Their visit created quite a buzz, with Trump reportedly not following traditional protocols during interactions with King Charles. Meanwhile, Melania’s fashion choices made waves in the media.
The royal family hosted a state banquet at Windsor Castle, attended by a host of notable figures.
The grand event at St George’s Hall included around 160 influential guests such as Apple’s Tim Cook, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, and the brilliant mind behind OpenAI, Sam Altman. However, Trump insisted that one person be absent from the invite list.
Excluding the Mayor of London
Trump voiced strong criticism when speaking to reporters on Air Force One, en route back to the US.
He specifically requested that Sir Sadiq Khan, referred to as “one of the worst mayors,” be left out of the occasion.
Trump stated, “I asked that he not be there. He wanted to be there, as I understand; I didn’t want him.” However, the BBC learned that Khan had neither sought nor expected an invitation.
Trump sharply criticized Khan’s tenure as mayor, branding his management on immigration as disastrous and claiming that violence in London is alarmingly high.
Khan, having opposed Trump’s UK state visit, holds a contrasting viewpoint.
According to a source close to Khan, as reported by the BBC, Trump’s comments were dismissed, saying, “Trump’s politics feeds on fear and division, including belittling our vibrant city.”
They emphasized London’s success, noting it as a thriving, open metropolis, safer than many major US cities, which could explain why many Americans are choosing to call it home.
The Roots of the Feud Between Trump and Khan
This incident is merely the latest episode in an ongoing verbal exchange between the two leaders.
The disagreement began back in 2015, when Khan criticized Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the US.
The tension escalated after Trump accused Khan of mishandling the 2017 London Bridge attacks and then challenged his intellectual capabilities.
Khan retaliated by permitting the infamous ‘Trump baby’ blimp to be flown in protest during Trump’s first UK state visit in 2019.
Trump’s Retort to Khan: ‘A Stone-Cold Loser’
The hostility is clearly far from over as of this year. During a press event in Scotland in July, Trump referred to Khan as “a nasty person.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stepped in to support Khan, stating, “He’s a friend of mine, actually.”
While global leaders and royals enjoyed the banquet at Windsor, large demonstrations arose in Parliament Square to protest Trump’s visit.
Before the dinner, four people were taken into custody for projecting images of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein onto Windsor Castle, adding to the evening’s controversy.
Despite an agenda aimed at solidifying US-UK relations, Trump still made time to revisit one of his preferred disputes with Khan.
