Sadiq Khan: Trump's Words Are The Words Of A Racist

15 July 2019, 12:13

Sadiq Khan told LBC the phrases used by Donald Trump are the ones used to him by racists when he was growing up.

The President tweeted that four Democratic congresswomen of colour should "go back" to their "broken and crime infested countries".

The women are all Americans though and all but was one born in the United States.

Speaking to James O'Brien about the President's tweets, Mr Khan said: "One of the points I was trying to make when it came to giving this man a state visit is one way you enhance his credibility and give him more kudos and gravitas is by rolling out the red carpet and giving him a state visit.

"Theresa May helped bring about that state visit and is responsible for enhancing him in the eyes of the American public.

"I am 48 years old, born and raised in London. The sort of language - "go back to where you came from" and "you don't belong" - it's the sort of language I've heard in my lifetime.

"I've heard it from racists and fascists. Never from a mainstream politician.

"Well here you have the President of the USA using that same sort of language."

Boris Johnson is expected to be the next Prime Minister and The Times reports one of his first jobs as PM will be to meet President Trump to lay the foundations of a US-UK trade deal.

Following Trump's comments, the Mayor of London had this response on Mr Johnson: "If you are saying that the language he's used before in his newspaper articles, the language he's used before to describe people of colour of people of my faith was just him joking, what better way to send a clear message to send to President Donald Trump about his language not being acceptable than not going over to him as your first visit overseas.

"You're our best friend and leader of our closest ally, but one thing we do with our best mates is show candour and be honest and say that that language is unacceptable.

"What sort of message does that language give to white supremacists, to neo-Nazis, hearing the President of the USA giving that sort of language?"