Sadiq Khan's office has hit back at "far-right" Donald Trump after the US president launched an extraordinary attack on the London mayor moments ahead of landing in the UK.
Minutes before touching down outside the capital aboard Air Force One, Mr Trump branded Mr Khan a "stone cold loser" who had done a "terrible job" as mayor.
He also compared the former Labour MP to New York City's mayor Bill de Blasio, who Mr Trump dislikes, and insulted his stature.
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"Kahn (sic) reminds me very much of our very dumb and incompetent Mayor of NYC, de Blasio, who has also done a terrible job - only half his height," Mr Trump tweeted on Monday morning.
In response, a spokesperson for Mr Khan said: "This is much more serious than childish insults which should be beneath the President of the United States.
Shape Created with Sketch. President Trump arrives in Britain: In pictures Show all 35 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. President Trump arrives in Britain: In pictures 1/35 President Trump meets with the Queen at Buckingham Palace as he arrives on the first day of his three-day state visit PA 2/35 A mixed crowd of supporters and detractors waits outside Buckingham Palace ahead of the arrival of President Trump Reuters 3/35 President Trump and the Queen view an exhibition of items from the Royal Collection that are of historical significance to the US PA 4/35 President Trump inspects an honour guard during a welcome ceremony in the garden of Buckingham Palace AP 5/35 The police block a road leading to Westminster Abbey, where Donald Trump is visiting on the first day of his state visit PA 6/35 President Trump walks with Prince Charles in the gardens of Buckingham Palace AFP/Getty 7/35 The McDonalds restaurant on Whitehall near to Westminster Abbey provides an excuse as to why they are not serving milkshakes today, though many have speculated that it is due to the recent trend of pouring milkshakes over right wing political figures Tom Batchelor / The Independent 8/35 Protesters with anti-Trump signs stand on Whitehall near Downing Street Tom Batchelor / The Independent 9/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania are welcomed by the Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla at Buckingham Palace EPA 10/35 King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery perform a gun salute to honour President Trump's state visit and to mark the 66th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's coronation at Green Park Getty 11/35 A protester stands on Whitehall near Downing Street holding a sign with an anti-Trump message Tom Batchelor / The Independent 12/35 A supporter welcomes the president's visit on Whitehall near Downing Street Tom Batchelor / The Independent 13/35 A miniature Trump balloon in the protest on Whitehall near Downing Street Tom Batchelor / The Independent 14/35 A protester wears a "No Trumps" card in his hat as he walks nearby to Buckingham Palace Getty 15/35 President Trump walks with Prince Charles and a Buckingham Palace guard as he is welcomed on the first day of his three-day state visit AFP/Getty 16/35 Dedicated pro-Trump and pro-Brexit campaigner Joseph Afrane awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 17/35 Crowds watch as Marine One, the helicopter carrying President Trump, arrives at Buckingham Palace PA 18/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania depart from Air Force one at Stansted Airport Reuters 19/35 Supporters of the president - and detractors of London mayor Sadiq Khan - await his arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 20/35 President Donald Trump salutes an honour guard as he and first lady Melania Trump arrive at Stansted Airport AP 21/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania arrive at Winfield House, the US ambassadors residence in London AP 22/35 An anti-Trump protester awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 23/35 Dedicated pro-Trump and pro-Brexit campaigner Joseph Afrane awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 24/35 A protester mowed this message into a field nearby to Stansted Airport Born Eco 25/35 An anti-Trump protester awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 26/35 A marching band parades down the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace ahead of the arrival of President Trump Reuters 27/35 Supporters of the president await his arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 28/35 A Marine One helicopter lands near Winfield House, the US ambassadors house in London, during President Trump's state visit Reuters 29/35 President Trump shakes hands with Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary Sky News 30/35 A policeman stands on the Mall, one of the roads leading to Buckingham Palace that is closed for the president's visit Reuters 31/35 Items are unloaded from Air Force One following the arrival of President Trump to Stansted Airport PA 32/35 Air Force One lands carrying U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arriving for their state visit to Britain Reuters 33/35 An honour guard await Trump's departure from Air Force One at Stansted Airport Sky News 34/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania depart from Air Force one at Stansted Airport AP 35/35 Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, and US ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson await the arrival of US President Donald Trump PA 1/35 President Trump meets with the Queen at Buckingham Palace as he arrives on the first day of his three-day state visit PA 2/35 A mixed crowd of supporters and detractors waits outside Buckingham Palace ahead of the arrival of President Trump Reuters 3/35 President Trump and the Queen view an exhibition of items from the Royal Collection that are of historical significance to the US PA 4/35 President Trump inspects an honour guard during a welcome ceremony in the garden of Buckingham Palace AP 5/35 The police block a road leading to Westminster Abbey, where Donald Trump is visiting on the first day of his state visit PA 6/35 President Trump walks with Prince Charles in the gardens of Buckingham Palace AFP/Getty 7/35 The McDonalds restaurant on Whitehall near to Westminster Abbey provides an excuse as to why they are not serving milkshakes today, though many have speculated that it is due to the recent trend of pouring milkshakes over right wing political figures Tom Batchelor / The Independent 8/35 Protesters with anti-Trump signs stand on Whitehall near Downing Street Tom Batchelor / The Independent 9/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania are welcomed by the Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla at Buckingham Palace EPA 10/35 King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery perform a gun salute to honour President Trump's state visit and to mark the 66th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's coronation at Green Park Getty 11/35 A protester stands on Whitehall near Downing Street holding a sign with an anti-Trump message Tom Batchelor / The Independent 12/35 A supporter welcomes the president's visit on Whitehall near Downing Street Tom Batchelor / The Independent 13/35 A miniature Trump balloon in the protest on Whitehall near Downing Street Tom Batchelor / The Independent 14/35 A protester wears a "No Trumps" card in his hat as he walks nearby to Buckingham Palace Getty 15/35 President Trump walks with Prince Charles and a Buckingham Palace guard as he is welcomed on the first day of his three-day state visit AFP/Getty 16/35 Dedicated pro-Trump and pro-Brexit campaigner Joseph Afrane awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 17/35 Crowds watch as Marine One, the helicopter carrying President Trump, arrives at Buckingham Palace PA 18/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania depart from Air Force one at Stansted Airport Reuters 19/35 Supporters of the president - and detractors of London mayor Sadiq Khan - await his arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 20/35 President Donald Trump salutes an honour guard as he and first lady Melania Trump arrive at Stansted Airport AP 21/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania arrive at Winfield House, the US ambassadors residence in London AP 22/35 An anti-Trump protester awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 23/35 Dedicated pro-Trump and pro-Brexit campaigner Joseph Afrane awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 24/35 A protester mowed this message into a field nearby to Stansted Airport Born Eco 25/35 An anti-Trump protester awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 26/35 A marching band parades down the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace ahead of the arrival of President Trump Reuters 27/35 Supporters of the president await his arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 28/35 A Marine One helicopter lands near Winfield House, the US ambassadors house in London, during President Trump's state visit Reuters 29/35 President Trump shakes hands with Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary Sky News 30/35 A policeman stands on the Mall, one of the roads leading to Buckingham Palace that is closed for the president's visit Reuters 31/35 Items are unloaded from Air Force One following the arrival of President Trump to Stansted Airport PA 32/35 Air Force One lands carrying U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arriving for their state visit to Britain Reuters 33/35 An honour guard await Trump's departure from Air Force One at Stansted Airport Sky News 34/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania depart from Air Force one at Stansted Airport AP 35/35 Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, and US ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson await the arrival of US President Donald Trump PA
"Sadiq is representing the progressive values of London and our country warning that Donald Trump is the most egregious example of a growing far-right threat around the globe, which is putting at risk the basic values that have defined our liberal democracies for more than 70 years."
The war of words was sparked when Mr Khan described the US president over the weekend as "just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat" and compared the language he had used to that of the "fascists of the 20th century".
After landing at Stansted Airport, Mr Trump was due to head from there to Buckingham Palace for a reception with the Queen, Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
The Duke of Sussex will also attend a private lunch at the palace - although his wife, who is on maternity leave, will be at home with their four-week-old son, Archie.
Diplodocus114 on June 3rd, 2019 at 11:05 UTC »
Looking forward to seeing the size of the protests even more now. How can this pathetic excuse for a human being and a politician get away with behaving this way? Whatever happened to "International Diplomacy"?
PS Cheers for the silver.
BeheldaPaleHorse on June 3rd, 2019 at 10:39 UTC »
So his trip has barely started and he's already insulted a member of the Royal Family who's a minority and the Muslim Lord Mayor of London, and promoted a far right politician.
Trump is far-right.
thesesforty-three on June 3rd, 2019 at 10:23 UTC »
This is your morning reminder that this is our President, on a State Visit no less, doing this: