Sadiq Khan claims Donald Trump’s assaults on London are ‘grooming’ far-Right extremists in Britain and says US President is ‘obsessed’ with him
Sir Sadiq Khan has suggested Donald Trump‘s attacks on Europe and London are ‘grooming’ and ‘radicalising’ extremists in Britain.
In a fresh blast at the US President, the London mayor claimed things said by Mr Trump ‘normalises and brings to the mainstream views that I think are unacceptable’.
The Labour politician also questioned why Mr Trump was ‘obsessed’ with him, amid the latest spat in the long-running feud between the two men.
Sir Sadiq hit back after the US President recently branded him a ‘horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor’ and claimed London was now ‘a different place’.
Mr Trump also suggested that ‘many’ states in Europe ‘will not be viable countries any longer’ and said immigration policies across the continent were ‘a disaster’.
In a further broadside at America’s traditional allies, a document produced by Mr Trump’s administration has claimed Europe faces ‘civilisational erasure’ in 20 years.
A new National Security Strategy published by the White House said migration policies were ‘transforming the continent’.
The explosive document also attacked the European Union and ‘other transnational bodies’ for undermining ‘political liberty and sovereignty’.
Quizzed about the views of Mr Trump and his administration, Sir Sadiq told LBC radio: ‘My concern about when President Trump says some of the things he does is he normalises and brings to the mainstream views that I think are unacceptable.’
Sir Sadiq Khan has suggested Donald Trump ‘s attacks on Europe and London are ‘grooming’ and ‘radicalising’ extremists in Britain.
In a fresh blast at the US President, the London mayor claimed things said by Mr Trump ‘normalises and brings to the mainstream views that I think are unacceptable’
Asked if Mr Trump’s comments were increasing the threat of far-Right attacks, London mayor added: ‘I’m always willing to debate and have discourse with anybody about almost any issue.
‘But there is a direct link between language and how sometimes people can become radicalised, you can call it groomed, and so forth.
‘And we’ve seen in the UK a massive increase in anti-Muslim hatred.’
Pressed on whether he was accusing Mr Trump of radicalising people in Britain, Sir Sadiq replied: ‘You know, intentionally or unintentionally, you are seeing people who are taking the views of the President of the United States as a green light to behave in a certain way.’
Quizzed about the US President’s recent attacks on him personally, the London mayor said: ‘I don’t really want to get involved in returning messages to President Trump… I feel like I’m nine years old again.
‘I’m slightly curious and concerned why the leader of the free world – who’s got so many challenges in the Middle East, in Ukraine, issues around the climate emergency, issues around trade – is spending time talking about me, and giving the impression he’s obsessed with me and, for him, it’s to explain why.’
He added: ‘Every opportunity the President gets when there’s a microphone placed in front of him, he appears to be obsessing about me. And I’m unclear why.’
Sir Sadiq insisted he hadn’t been hurt by Mr Trump’s attacks. But he hit out at those, such as the US President, who were ‘talking down our capital city’.
‘They seem to feel insecure that a city that is progressive, that is liberal, that is diverse, that is multicultural, is so incredibly successful,’ he continued.
‘I think their nervousness and worry is it’s the antithesis, it’s the antidote, to all they stand for, which is unilateralism, which is nativism, which is protectionism.’
