US President Donald Trump has said he did not want London Mayor Sadiq Khan at the state banquet held during his official visit to the United Kingdom. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his return to the US, Trump said: “I didn’t want him there, I asked that he not be there.” The president called Khan “among the worst mayors in the world” and accused him of doing “a terrible job” on crime and immigration. He added: “Crime in London is through the roof.” According to the BBC, a source close to the mayor rejected Trump’s remarks, saying the US President's politics spread “fear and division.” The source added: “London is a global success story: it’s open, dynamic and safer than major US cities. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons record numbers of Americans are choosing to make London their home.” VIDEO | On being asked why London Mayor Sadiq Khan was not invited to the Royal banquet during his state visit to the UK, US President Donald Trump says, "Well, I didn’t want him there. I asked that he not be there. The Mayor of London, Khan, is among the worst in the world…… pic.twitter.com/MVkpfymIvB— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 19, 2025 The BBC said the two have clashed repeatedly since 2015, when Khan criticised Trump’s call to ban Muslims from travelling to the US. In 2019, Trump described Khan as “a stone-cold loser”, while Khan criticised him for encouraging far-right politics. During Trump’s first state visit in 2019, a giant inflatable “Trump baby” blimp was flown in London in protest. In July this year, the BBC reported, that Trump again criticised Khan at a press conference in Scotland, calling him “a nasty person”. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded at the time by saying: “He’s (Khan) a friend of mine, actually.” Trump’s latest comments came as his second state visit to the UK concluded, an event that drew thousands of protesters in central London.
