Sadiq Khan continues Donald Trump feud as he links president and his 'nativist' followers to rise in death threats against him

By JAKE HOLDEN, UK NEWS REPORTER Published: 08:47, 24 June 2026 | Updated: 08:50, 24 June 2026 Sadiq Khan has blamed Donald Trump for the rising number of death threats he receives as the Mayor of London continues the bitter feud with the US president. Upon Mr Trump's election to the White House, Mr Khan claims death threats against him soared by 2,000 per cent. The pair have traded very public blows for years now, with the president calling Mr Khan a 'horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor' in December last year, prompting the Labour politician to brand Mr Trump a 'bully'. The president accused Mr Khan of making London a 'different place' due to mass migration, but the mayor called him a 'nativist' and jibed: 'It's absurd that President Trump is obsessed with me.  'It's like I'm living rent-free inside this guy's head for 10 years now.' Now, Mr Khan has spoken out to say the president's accession to the White House has had a nasty direct effect on his life. He told Republica: 'It's very difficult for me, personally, for my family, [and for] my friends, it's never nice having death threats and requiring police protection.' He added: 'We did some analysis, and when President Trump got elected, the amount of threats I received went up by 2,000 per cent. London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has blamed Donald Trump for a 2,000 per cent increase in death threats he recieved - the latest sneer in the long-running feud between them Mr Trump called Sir Sadiq a 'horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor' and accused him of making London a 'different place' due to mass migration and wanting to introduce Sharia law to the city 'When he was elected the second time, it's gone up by 100 per cent.' Thinking of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, MPs who were both stabbed to death, the London Mayor said that threats should not be 'part and parcel of the job' or the need for police protection. He said: 'Online words cause offline threats. And I think when you bear in mind, Jo Cox, a friend of mine, lost her life. 'David Amess MP lost his life. I mean, there are real-life consequences from some of the stuff online, and it's horrible.' Speaking on why he thought Mr Trump was so vocal in his disdain for him, the mayor said that 'President Trump and his acolytes in MAGA' were 'nativists'. He added: 'There's a number of reasons why people attack London. We are a city that's progressive, liberal, diverse, multicultural, and incredibly successful,' he said. Mr Khan repeated his claims that 'China and Russia also spread disinformation' about him and the city, which he claims is 'aided by the inaction of tech giants'. This spat is only the latest in the insults the pair have been throwing at each other for nearly a decade. Mr Khan previously suggested the president was so critical of him because he is jealous. Speaking to BBC Radio 4 in January, he said: 'I've had the full support, not just of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary but from the Government and from Londoners. 'And I think what today shows is one of the reasons why we are the greatest city in the world, and why President Trump is a bit jealous.' But Mr Trump has also not let things go, and accused the mayor of wanting to impose Sharia law on London in his 2025 United Nations speech. However, Mr Khan hit back and accused the president of being 'racist, sexist, misogynistic, and Islamophobic'. 'I appear to be living rent-free in Donald Trump's head,' he said. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.