Trump Had Personally Asked That London Mayor Not Be Invited to Banquet

Former US President Donald Trump revealed he personally requested Sadiq Khan's exclusion from the state banquet during his UK visit.

London:

During his state visit to the United Kingdom, US President Donald Trump reignited his ongoing feud with London Mayor Sadiq Khan by delivering another round of harsh criticism against him.

Speaking to reporters while aboard Air Force One on Thursday, Trump revealed he had specifically requested that Khan be excluded from the state banquet held in his honor.

Trump characterized the London Mayor as "among the worst mayors in the world" and criticized his performance regarding crime and immigration issues.

When asked about Khan's absence from the banquet, Trump stated plainly: "I didn't want him there, I asked for him not to be there, I don't want that." He further added, "Sadiq Khan the mayor of London wasn't welcomed, and he did not attend."

"It was requested that he not attend," Trump continued, suggesting Khan had shown interest in being present at the event.

Furthering his critique, Trump claimed, "Crime in London is through the roof. Mayor Khan has done a terrible job, and on immigration he's a disaster."

These comments came shortly before Trump concluded his UK state visit on Thursday (local time). While departing London with First Lady Melania Trump, the President encountered a transportation issue when they had to switch to a support helicopter due to a "minor hydraulic issue," according to CNN, citing White House sources.

The helicopter carrying the President and First Lady developed the technical problem and was forced to land at a local airfield, as announced by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. This incident necessitated their transfer to a backup helicopter, causing a delay in their arrival at Stansted Airport in the United Kingdom, CNN reported.

"Due to a minor hydraulic issue, and out of an abundance of caution, the pilots landed at a local airfield before reaching Stansted airport. The president and first lady safely boarded the support helicopter," Leavitt explained in a statement to the traveling press pool.

Following the helicopter incident, Trump completed his UK visit on Thursday with a joint press conference alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. During the briefing, Trump discussed his personal connection with India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasizing their close relationship and mentioning his recent birthday wishes to the Indian leader.

Trump stated, "I'm very close to India. I'm very close to the Prime Minister of India. Spoke to him the other day, wished him a happy birthday. We have a very good relationship. He put out a beautiful statement, too...But I said, I sanctioned them."

In addition to his comments about India, Trump addressed international matters, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He expressed disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin for not ending the war, saying Putin "let me down."

"He has let me down. I mean, he's killing many people and he's losing more people than he's, you know, than he's killing. I mean, frankly, Russian soldiers are being killed at a higher rate than the Ukrainian soldiers," Trump remarked.

Trump acknowledged that although he had previously thought the Russia-Ukraine conflict would be the "easiest" to resolve, that proved not to be the case. He maintained that the war would never have erupted if he had remained in office.

"This was a thing that would have never happened had I been president. If I were president, it would have never happened. And it didn't happen for four years," Trump asserted. "Most people agree it didn't happen, nor was it close to happening."