Trump Says 'He Didn't Want' London's Mayor At UK State Banquet — Here's Why

US President Donald Trump told reporters that he "didn't want" London Mayor Sadiq Khan at the UK's state banquet on Wednesday, held at Windsor Castle hosted by the King.

Trump was speaking to reporters at Air Force One as he was about to leave the UK and said that Khan was "among the worst mayors in the world", according to the BBC.

"I asked that he not be there. He wanted to be there, as I understand, I didn't want him," he said with regards to Khan.

"I think the Mayor of London Khan is among the worst mayors in the world, and we have some bad ones," Trump further said.

"I think he's done a terrible job. Crime in London is through the roof," he added.

According to the BBC, a source close to the London Mayor rejected Trump's statement, saying that his politics are of fear and division and called London a global sucess story, and calling it "safer than major American cities."

The genesis of the ongoing feud between the US president and the UK mayor began when the Labour Party's Sadiq Khan condemned Trump for his campaign pitch that talked about curbs on Muslims entering into the US.

This was in the wake of the San Bernardino shootings in December 2015, where terrorists opened fire at a Department of Public Health training event, killing 14 people. According to the Los Angeles Times, investigators said that the perpetrators were inspired by Islamic terror organisations.

At the time, both of them were contesting elections — Khan was competing to be London's Mayor, while Trump was the Republican nominee for the presidential elections.

Khan had characterised Trump's statements as "divisive and outrageous" and said that he hoped that the Republican "loses badly".

They both ultimately won their respective elections and the feud was escalated further when Trump asked the mayor-elect to take an IQ test after Khan called his statements on Muslims ignorant, according to the Guardian.

This was the moment that seemed to have solidified Trump's apparent dislike of the London mayor. "I will remember those statements. They are very nasty statements,” he said in a statement to ITV.

Trump, on social media as well as at public events, slammed Khan on numerous occasions over his administrative capabilities.

The US president's Twitter battles with Khan include his criticism for allegedly saying "there was no need for alarm" after a terrorist attack in London in 2017. To which, Khan responded by saying his comment was taken out of context and he was telling the public that there was no need to be "alarmed at increased police presence."

In 2018, Sadiq permitted protestors to fly a blimp depicting a caricature of the US president draped in a diaper to resemble a baby, to be flown at the same time Trump was visiting the UK in July 2018 and once again in June 2019, to coincide with another visit of his, according to reports.

Trump has also taken to 'X' to call Khan a "stonecold loser", "very dumb" and and "national disgrace" in 2019.

More recently, Trump called the London mayor, a "nasty person", in a July 2025 press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The latter, however, said, "He's a friend of mine, actually."

Khan's office had referred to Trump's remarks as "childish insults".