Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has accused former U.S. President Donald Trump of being “racist and anti-Muslim,” after Trump suggested in a speech that Khan was attempting to implement Islamic Sharia law in the UK capital.
The remarks reignited a years-long feud between the two political figures, with Khan, a member of the centre-left Labour Party and the first Muslim mayor of London, responding sharply to Trump’s comments made during an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
“I think Donald Trump has shown himself to be racist, sexist, and anti-Muslim,” Khan said, in comments reported by Agence France-Presse.
During his UN speech, Trump criticized the leadership in London and made veiled accusations regarding Islamic influence in the city. “I look at London where you have a very bad mayor. It’s changed, it’s changed a lot,” Trump said. “They want to implement Sharia law. But you’re in a different country, you can’t do that.”
Trump did not name Khan directly, but the implication was clear, prompting swift backlash from UK officials and Khan himself.
A Longstanding Feud Rekindled
The verbal clash is the latest episode in a bitter and highly public dispute between Trump and Khan that dates back to 2016. That year, Khan criticized Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States, calling it divisive and dangerous. Trump responded by accusing Khan of downplaying the threat of terrorism and questioning his intelligence.
Before Trump’s state visit to the UK in 2019, Khan likened the then-president to authoritarian leaders of the 1930s and 1940s, saying he should not be welcomed with pomp and ceremony. Trump retaliated by branding Khan a “stone-cold loser” and challenging him to an IQ test.
Despite the hostility between the two, Labour leader and current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has attempted to maintain a cordial relationship with Trump. Just last week, Trump was received in the UK for an unprecedented second state visit, signaling Starmer’s intention to preserve bilateral ties regardless of political differences.
UK Officials Push Back
Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden defended Khan and dismissed Trump’s claims, saying the former president was “misrepresenting London.”
Khan also emphasized London’s achievements and global status in his response. “London leads the world in many indicators, including foreign investment. I’m incredibly proud that we are the greatest city in the world,” he said.
Politics, Religion, and Rhetoric
Khan’s Muslim background has often been targeted by Trump and his allies, particularly in the context of immigration and terrorism debates. Trump has repeatedly associated Muslim identity with extremism, a stance that critics say has fueled Islamophobia both in the U.S. and abroad.
Trump’s latest comments drew fresh criticism from advocacy groups and politicians who warned that such rhetoric could inflame tensions and contribute to a broader trend of scapegoating minorities in political discourse.
While Trump has not elaborated on his accusations regarding Sharia law, analysts note that such claims often play well with segments of his base, especially within nationalist and anti-immigration circles.
Looking Ahead
As Trump campaigns for a possible return to the White House in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and with Khan set to seek another term as Mayor of London in 2024, their clash once again underscores the deep ideological divide between progressive urban leadership and populist nationalist politics.
Whether this renewed spat will have any political impact remains to be seen but it serves as a reminder that transatlantic political rhetoric can resonate far beyond national borders.
