A brief history of Donald Trump’s feud with Sadiq Khan, London’s first Muslim mayor – Washington Post

Posted: June 7, 2017 at 5:50 pm

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the first Muslim to lead the United Kingdom'smost populous city, is used to political opponents taking potshots at his faith.

But recently, as his city has dealt with a wave of terrorist attacks, he's also had to contend with a different kind of onslaught: the full fire hose of PresidentTrump's Twitter feed.

[Trumps fight with London mayor baffles his critics]

So how does it feel to be trolled by the most powerful man in the world?

His answer, according to the Associated Press: I don't know how to tell you this, but I really don't care I really couldn't be bothered about what Donald Trump tweets.

Here's the history of their very public conflict.

May 9, 2016 Khan takes office.

When Khan took office, it was clear that he differed significantly from Trump, then a presidential candidate.

He was a Muslim and the first ethnic minority to be mayor in London, and he had beaten back Conservative Party efforts to connect him to alleged Muslim extremists. In the United States, Trump was floating the idea of a travel ban against Muslims.

Khan toldTime magazinethat if Trump wonthe U.S. presidential election, Ill be stopped from going there by virtue of my faith.

He also said Trump's stances on the issues meant the candidate was destined to fail.

Conservative tacticians thought those sort of tactics would win London, and they were wrong, he said. Im confident that Donald Trumps approach to politics wont win in America.

Trump responded by calling Khan rude and ignorant on Good Morning Britain.

He doesn't know me, never met me, doesn't know what I'm all about, he said. I think they're very rude statements, and, frankly, tell him I will remember those statements.

Jan. 20 Trump is inaugurated.

Although those politics did win in America, Trump remained unpopular across the pond.

Brits engaged in a debate about whether Prime Minister Theresa May should rescind the offer to have Trump come for an official state dinner.

[World leaders call for unity after London attack. Trump tweets the complete opposite.]

Khan is among those who have asked the government to reconsider the invitation, describing the state visit as inappropriate given the presidents travel ban for passengers from several Muslim-majority nations.

I love America, I love Americans, and I believe the special relationship is a good one and one thats here to stay, he said on ITV. I think this ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries, ending the refugee program is cruel, and its shameful. In those circumstances, we shouldnt be rolling out the red carpet.

March 22 Trump Jr. goes on the offensive

Four people were killed including a police officer and another 40 were injured when a terrorist plowed a vehicle through a landmark bridge, then got out of his car and started stabbing people.

Hours after the attack, Donald Trump Jr. tweeted a story from September in which Khan talks about Londoners and terrorism. The mayor said large cities such asLondon are terrorist targets and that Brits should be vigilant. He also said the terrorists would not win.

But Trump Jr. gave the mayor's statement a defeatist twinge, implying that Khan thought terrorist attacks were just part and parcel of living in a big city.

June, 3 AnotherLondon attack, and the feud intensifies

Khan had a very public presence after a terrorist attack on London Bridge that killed seven and injured dozens.

Following the June 3 London terror attack, the city's mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted this video message saying, "We are all shocked and angry today - but this is our city. We will never let these cowards win and we will never be cowed by terrorism." (Sadiq Khan/Twitter)

There can be no justification for the acts of these terrorists, and I am quite clear that we will never let them win, nor will we allow them to cower our city or Londoners, the mayor said in the interview.

He also gave pragmatic advice, telling Londoners they would see an increased police presence today and over the course of the next few days. There's no reason to be alarmed.

Trump took the last four words of that message and turned it into an incredulous tweet.

Khan's spokesman dismissed the U.S. president's comments, according to BuzzFeed News:

The mayor is busy working with the police, emergency services and the government to coordinate the response to this horrific and cowardly terrorist attack and provide leadership and reassurance to Londoners and visitors to our city.

He has more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump's ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks urging Londoners not to be alarmed when they saw more police including armed officers on the streets.

But Trump lobbed another criticism across the Atlantic.

So Khan told the Independent that Trump wasn't helping the situation and was instead trying to divide communities.

I just haven't got time to respond to tweets from Donald Trump, he said. Honestly I've got better and more important things to focus on.

Speaking to Channel 4 News, Khan said Trump had been wrong about many things and that the government should cancel his state visit to the United Kingdom.

I dont think we should roll out the red carpet to the president of the USA in the circumstances where his policies go against everything we stand for, he said.

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A brief history of Donald Trump's feud with Sadiq Khan, London's first Muslim mayor - Washington Post

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