The US president Donald Trump, while visiting, called London Mayor Sadiq Khan the worst mayor in the world and a terrible mayor who steers the capital towards Sharia law at the United Nations General Assembly address, but Khan in response denounced Trump as racist, sexist, misogynistic and Islamophobic, and laid down statistics showing London as number one in American visitors, foreign investment and cultural vibrancy to counter Trump’s claims.
The clash reopened a long-running feud between the two men, with Khan turning the criticism into an assertion of London’s global standing, and Trump framing his narrative around claims of cultural and religious infiltration.
Trump’s remarks provoked reactions in Britain, with Labour leaders taking differing approaches as some strongly defended Khan and others sought to focus on London’s international reputation without engaging directly with Trump’s rhetoric, and Khan himself hinted that senior Labour figures, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, should have had the confidence to call out the US president more directly.
The Labour health secretary Wes Streeting praised Khan’s role in representing a diverse city, while the work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden emphasised London’s strengths as a global capital but refrained from directly criticising Trump, which highlighted divisions within the government over how strongly to confront Washington.
Khan used the occasion not only to strike back at Trump but also to underline the resilience of London as a multicultural hub, noting that American investment and tourism were at record levels and that the city regularly topped global rankings for culture, sports and opportunity, which he framed as evidence against Trump’s allegations.
The London mayor also reminded allies that the special relationship between Britain and the United States should not prevent leaders from challenging inflammatory rhetoric, as he argued that close friendships ought to allow for accountability.
Support for Khan came from outside Labour as well, with the Green party leader Zack Polanski describing his response as the correct stance for a city that thrives on diversity, and MPs such as Rosena Allin-Khan and Dawn Butler urging stronger measures, including summoning the US ambassador to account for Trump’s Islamophobic language, which they saw as damaging to Britain’s reputation abroad.
At the same time, right-wing figures such as Nigel Farage and the Reform UK leadership lent partial validation to Trump’s arguments, suggesting that while the claims about Sharia law in London were exaggerated, there remained issues worth debating, and they argued that Trump’s comments should not be taken literally but still taken seriously, thereby amplifying the controversy.
Trump has a history of clashing with Khan, dating back to 2015 when the London mayor criticised the then presidential candidate’s proposal to ban Muslims from travelling to the United States, and the latest exchange indicated that their personal animosity continues to frame debates about London’s identity and Britain’s relations with Washington.