For the second consecutive day, President Trump assailed London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s response to terror attacks, misinterpreting the mayor’s call for residents to remain calm as police stepped up anti-terror patrols.
“Pathetic excuse by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who had to think fast on his ‘no reason to be alarmed’ statement,” said Trump via Twitter on Monday morning. “[Mainstream media] is working hard to sell it!”
Trump was referring to a statement by Khan on Sunday urging citizens not to be alarmed by an increased police presence in the city. Khan condemned the attacks in his city and called the perpetrators “barbaric cowards.”
“Londoners will see an increased police presence today and over the course of the next few days — no reason to be alarmed,” said Khan. “One of the things police and all of us need to do is make sure we’re as safe as we possibly can be.”
In a string of tweets Sunday about the attack, Trump had written, “At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is ‘no reason to be alarmed!’”
Khan’s spokesperson dismissed Trump’s original barb Sunday.
“The mayor is busy working with the police, emergency services and the government to coordinate the response to this horrific and cowardly terrorist attack and provide leadership and reassurance to Londoners and visitors to our city,” the spokesman said. “He has more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump’s ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks urging Londoners not to be alarmed when they saw more police — including armed officers — on the streets.”
The president’s Sunday morning tweets about London appear to echo comments made on “Fox & Friends.”
Khan, a Muslim, called Trump’s view of Islam “ignorant” in a May 2016 interview.
“I think they’re very rude statements,” said Trump in response, “and frankly, tell him, I will remember those statements. They’re very nasty statements.”
