Donald Trump Claims London Mayor Sadiq Khan Wanted to Attend State Banquet but Was Banned Over His Demands
Former President Donald Trump has never been shy about his feelings toward London Mayor Sadiq Khan, and his latest comments have added even more fuel to a long-running feud between the two. In remarks made this week, Trump claimed that Khan had wanted to attend the official state banquet during his time in the United Kingdom but was blocked from going after making what Trump described as demands. According to Trump, he requested that Khan be banned from the event, saying there was no time or place for what he called far-left radicals.
The history between Trump and Khan is well known. During his presidency, Trump and Khan traded barbs repeatedly, with Trump criticizing Khan’s handling of crime in London and Khan frequently firing back with harsh words about Trump’s policies and rhetoric. The tension reached a peak during Trump’s 2019 state visit to Britain, where Khan publicly compared the American president to “20th century fascists.” Trump responded at the time with personal insults on social media, calling Khan a “stone cold loser” and “a disaster.” That animosity never faded, and Trump’s new claims about the state banquet show just how deep the rivalry still runs.
According to Yahoo News and other outlets reporting on Trump’s remarks, the former president said Khan wanted to be at the dinner, which was hosted at Buckingham Palace, but his request was denied. Trump said it was because of demands Khan made, though he did not go into detail about what those demands were. Trump framed it as a victory, suggesting that he had effectively kept someone he views as hostile away from one of the most prestigious events on the diplomatic calendar. “He wanted to come, but he was banned,” Trump said, adding that his administration would not bow to radicals.
The claim has not been confirmed by official UK sources. There has been no public acknowledgment from Buckingham Palace or the UK government that Khan was ever scheduled to attend or that he was formally barred from doing so. In practice, invitations to such banquets are carefully curated, often with significant input from both the host country and the visiting delegation. Whether or not Khan ever had a realistic chance of being there is unclear, but Trump’s version of events has nonetheless made headlines.
For Trump’s supporters, the story fits into a broader narrative of him standing up to critics and refusing to share a stage with those he views as disrespectful. To them, keeping Khan out of the banquet was an example of Trump drawing firm boundaries and showing strength on the world stage. For critics, however, the remarks are just another example of Trump inflaming old rivalries and using international relationships for political theater.
Sadiq Khan himself has not directly responded to Trump’s latest comments, but given their history, it would not be surprising if he did. In the past, Khan has argued that Trump’s attacks on him were part of a pattern of bullying and deflection, designed to avoid substantive debates about policy. Whether he chooses to answer Trump this time or to let the story fade remains to be seen, but the renewed attention has once again placed their feud in the spotlight.
At its core, this moment reflects how political grudges can carry on well beyond official terms in office. Trump is no longer president, but his words still shape conversations on both sides of the Atlantic. The idea of a sitting mayor of London being banned from a state banquet at Trump’s request is the kind of anecdote that plays directly into his outsider image, whether or not every detail is verifiable. For Khan, it’s another reminder that his name is often pulled into Trump’s orbit, used as a foil in the ongoing narrative of strength versus radicalism.
As with many of Trump’s most memorable remarks, the truth of the details may matter less than the impact. What resonates with his audience is the image of him standing firm and refusing to grant legitimacy to an opponent he views as fundamentally opposed to his values. The feud between Trump and Khan has lasted years, and with both men continuing to play high-profile roles, it may not be over any time soon.
