Sadiq Khan called Donald Trump 'racist, sexist and Islamophobic' after Trump’s false sharia law claim. Photo / Getty Images
London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan has called United States President Donald Trump “racist, sexist and Islamophobic” in an escalation of their feud.
The Labour Mayor hit back at the US President in response to Trump’s false claim that he wanted to impose sharia on the British capital.
Trump had made the remark yesterday as he singled out Khan in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Warning that European countries were “going to hell” because of unchecked immigration, he said: “I look at London, where you have a terrible mayor, terrible, terrible mayor, and it’s been so changed, so changed”.
“Now they want to go to sharia law, but you’re in a different country.”
On a London bus today, Khan told broadcasters: “I think people are wondering what it is about this Muslim mayor who leads a liberal, multicultural, progressive, successful city that means I appear to be living rent-free in Donald Trump’s head”.
Asked if Trump’s comments were Islamophobic, he replied: “When people say things, when people act in a certain way, when people behave in a certain way, you’ve got to believe them”.
Pressed on whether he believed the President was Islamophobic, Khan said: “I think President Trump has shown he is racist, he is sexist, he is misogynistic, and he is Islamophobic”.
“I’m just thankful that we have record numbers of Americans coming to London since records began. There’s never been a period when more Americans have come to London. There must be a reason for that.”
Khan noted that London was often named as the world’s No 1 city for culture, investment and sport, adding: “I’m really proud that we are the greatest city in the world and long may that continue”.
He also declined to say whether he was comfortable with Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s closeness to Trump and said it was “for others to explain” their views on the President.
The mayor of London has hit back at criticisms made by Donald Trump about the capital in a speech to the United Nations.
— BBC London (@BBCLondonNews) September 24, 2025
The US president said London has "a terrible, terrible mayor, and it's been changed, it's been so changed".
He added: "Now they want to go to Sharia law." pic.twitter.com/MVymimGOIq
Despite their sharply contrasting styles and beliefs, the Prime Minister and Trump have struck up an unlikely political friendship and reached a UK-US trade agreement earlier this year.
The President made a second state visit this month and lavished praise on Starmer for doing a “great job”.
But he could not resist using a press conference at Chequers to air his disagreements with Starmer over green energy and Palestinian statehood, while also urging him to consider sending in the military to tackle the small boats crisis.
The feud between Khan and Trump dates back years, when the President rebuked the Mayor’s response to the aftermath of the London Bridge terror attack in 2017.
He accused him of downplaying the atrocity by telling Londoners there was “no need to be alarmed”, remarks that Khan’s office insisted had been taken out of context.
During his first state visit to the UK in 2019, Trump tweeted that Khan “has done a terrible job as Mayor of London” and was “a stone-cold loser”.
At the time, Khan permitted a plan to fly a giant inflatable “Trump baby” near Parliament to coincide with the visit.
The 6m-high blimp depicted Trump as an angry child wearing a nappy and clutching a mobile phone.
As Trump began his second state visit this month, Khan accused the President of fuelling “divisive, far-right politics”.
At the end of the visit, Trump told reporters on board Air Force One he had personally requested that Khan have no involvement with his visit to Britain.
“He wanted to be there, as I understand it. I didn’t want him,” the President said. “I didn’t want him there. I asked that he not be there.
“I think the Mayor of London, Khan, is among the worst mayors in the world and we have some bad ones. I think he’s done a terrible job.”
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