US President Donald Trump lashed out against London Mayor Sadiq Khan once again on Monday, accusing him of making a “pathetic excuse” over one of his comments, following the attack that killed seven people in London on Saturday night.
Khan had said on Sunday morning that people would see an increased police presence on the streets of the capital, and should not be alarmed by that.
This is what Trump said in the tweet:
MSM refers to mainstream media.
Trump had faced a barrage of criticism on Sunday over an earlier tweet that said:
Three jihadis first drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge late on Saturday, before running into the bustling Borough Market area where they slit peoples' throats and stabbed them indiscriminately. All three attackers were shot dead by police.
Khan's lengthy statement on Sunday morning, heard in full by Reuters, strongly condemned the attack and gave a number of details about what had happened and what measures were being taken in response.
Londoners will see an increased police presence today and over the course of the next few days. No reason to be alarmed. One of the things the police and all of us need to do is make sure we’re as safe as we possibly can be.Sadiq Khan
Attack an ‘Utter Desecration of Ramadan’: Sadiq Khan
The London mayor has also written an article in the UK newspaper Evening Standard strongly condemning the attack, asserting “Keeping our city safe is my greatest responsibility, and is the part of the job that keeps me awake at night”.
Also bringing religion into the discussion, Khan did not mince his words as he remarked:
Followers of a perverse ideology who murder innocent Londoners and visitors are an utter desecration of Ramadan, and a rejection of the true values of Islam... Along with the overwhelming majority of the Muslim population, I am disgusted by this act...the sick and wicked ideology of these evil extremists is no form of Islam that I recogniseSadiq Khan
Towards the end, Khan urged Londoners to continue being resilient as they have always been to “show the terrorists we will never be beaten”.
A Protracted Feud
Khan, who belongs to the UK’s opposition Labour Party, and is the first Muslim to be elected mayor of a major Western European city, is popular in London, and his response to Saturday's killings has been widely praised as dignified.
Prime Minister Theresa May, the Conservative Party leader, was asked earlier on Monday about Trump's criticism of Khan.
I think Sadiq Khan is doing a good job and it is wrong to say anything elseTheresa May
There was no immediate response from Khan to Trump's latest tweet.
On Sunday, a spokesman for the London mayor said he was working with the police, emergency services and government to coordinate the response to the attack, and had “more important things to do” than to respond to Trump.
The conflict between Khan and Trump is a protracted one. Khan has already labelled Trump as “ignorant” and a “buffoon” – the latter being over his proposed travel ban. On his part, Trump, dared him to take part in an IQ test, according to BBC.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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