The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has strongly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him of encouraging the far-right across the world.
In an article published in The Guardian, Khan argued that Trump has “done more than anyone in recent years to fan the flames of divisive politics and the far-right globally.”
The two leaders have exchanged harsh words in the past, and no meeting is scheduled between them during Trump’s ongoing state visit to the United Kingdom, which began on Wednesday.
Khan also condemned Trump’s recent decision to deploy federal troops in U.S. cities, calling it “straight out of the autocrat’s playbook.”
While acknowledging the pragmatic need to maintain strong ties with the U.S., Khan stressed that the so-called “special relationship” means “sometimes being a critical friend, telling truth to power, and rejecting politics of fear and division.”
Their feud goes back years. In July, Trump called Khan “a bad person” who had done “a terrible job.” During his previous term in office, Trump branded Khan “a stone-cold loser who should focus on crime in London.”
