During a state visit to the United Kingdom, Donald Trump announced that he specifically requested one individual be excluded from a grand banquet held at Windsor Castle. The former US president, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, completed a two-day journey across the Atlantic, filled with notable moments.
The couple garnered significant attention during their stay in the UK. Trump faced accusations of repeatedly breaching royal protocol during interactions with King Charles. Meanwhile, Melania’s elegant fashion choices captivated onlookers and dominated headlines.
On Wednesday evening, September 17, the royal family hosted a lavish state banquet at St George’s Hall, attended by 160 prominent guests. Among the distinguished attendees were figures like Apple CEO Tim Cook, media titan Rupert Murdoch, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman. Yet, Trump made it clear he had one individual in mind whom he insisted should not be present: the Mayor of London.
Speaking candidly to reporters aboard Air Force One on his return to the United States, Trump expressed his disapproval. “One of the least effective mayors anywhere,” he declared, referring to Sir Sadiq Khan, whom he explicitly requested be left off the guest list. “I made it clear he shouldn’t be there. He apparently wanted an invitation, but I wasn’t having it,” Trump stated. According to the BBC, however, a source close to Khan clarified that the mayor “neither sought nor anticipated an invitation.”
Trump didn’t hold back in his critique, describing Khan’s tenure as mayor as “disastrous,” particularly on issues like immigration, and claiming that “violence in London has skyrocketed.” Khan, who had previously voiced disapproval of Trump’s state visit, offered a contrasting perspective. A source close to the mayor, as reported by the BBC, dismissed Trump’s comments, stating, “Trump’s approach thrives on fear and division, including disparaging our vibrant capital city. London remains a global beacon of success—open, dynamic, and safer than many major US cities. This likely explains why a record number of Americans are choosing to call London home.”
The Roots of a Long-Standing Rivalry
The tension between Donald Trump and Sadiq Khan is far from new, marking another chapter in a feud that began in 2015. It was sparked when Khan publicly criticized Trump’s proposal to bar Muslims from entering the United States. The conflict escalated further in 2017, following the London Bridge terror attack, when Trump accused Khan of mishandling the tragedy and even challenged him to an IQ test.
In 2019, during Trump’s first state visit to the UK, Khan permitted the controversial “Trump baby” blimp to fly over London as a form of protest. Trump, never one to back down, retaliated by labeling Khan “a complete failure.” The animosity persisted into this year, with Trump referring to Khan as “a deplorable individual” during a July news conference in Scotland. In response, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer came to Khan’s defense, noting, “He’s actually a friend of mine.”
The state visit itself wasn’t without broader controversy. Thousands of protestors gathered in Parliament Square to voice their opposition to Trump’s presence while international leaders and royalty dined at Windsor Castle. The unrest intensified when four individuals were detained for projecting images of Trump alongside convicted offender Jeffrey Epstein onto Windsor Castle before the banquet.
Despite the visit’s aim to foster stronger US-UK relations, Trump evidently found time to reignite his ongoing rivalry with Khan. The clash between the two figures remains a vivid thread in the tapestry of their public interactions, underscoring their deep-seated differences.