Donald Trump has stoked his bitter feud with Sadiq Khan by claiming he blocked him from being part of the State Visit. 

The US President goaded that the London mayor had ‘wanted’ to attend the opulent Royal banquet at Windsor Castle, which featured a host of senior politicians.

But speaking on Air Force One as he returned to America last night, Mr Trump said he had vetoed the idea.

‘I think the mayor of London Khan is among the worst mayors in the world, and we have some bad ones,’ he said.

‘He wanted to be there. As I understand it, I didn’t want it. I’ve not liked him for a long time.’

Trump said he thought Sir Sadiq had done a ‘terrible job’ and that crime in the capital was ‘through the roof’. 

‘I just think, you know, I have a certain pride in London and the UK. My mother was born in Scotland, and when I see Mayor Khan do a bad job – the stabbings, the dirt and the filth – it’s not the same. I didn’t want him there.’

However, a source close to Sir Sadiq – who has taken a series of potshots at Mr Trump over recent days – insisted he had never sought an invite to the banquet. 

‘Trump’s politics is one of fear and division. This includes talking down our great capital city,’ the source said. 

‘London is a global success story – it’s open, dynamic and safer than major US cities. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons record numbers of Americans are choosing to make London their home.’ 

Sir Sadiq had continued his bitter feud with Trump before his arrival for a historic state visit in a fresh attack in which he said the Republican had fanned the flames of divisive, far-right politics around the world.  

Writing in The Guardian, the Labour mayor said: ‘Scapegoating minorities, deploying the military to the streets of diverse cities. These actions aren’t just inconsistent with western values – they’re straight out of the autocrat’s playbook.’

During his visit to Scotland in July, Mr Trump branded the London mayor a ‘nasty person’ who has ‘done a terrible job’ in his latest blast at the Labour politician.

Speaking at an event at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Sir Sadiq dismissed the US President’s jibes as ‘water off a duck’s back’.

The London mayor added he sometimes felt like he was ‘nine years old again’ and ‘in the school playground’. 

He told the Political Party show with comedian Matt Forde: ‘Somebody who has views like he does about black people, about women, about gays, about Muslims, about Mexicans, thinks I’m nasty.

‘Really. He is the leader of the free world, arguably the most powerful man in the world, and really.’

There has been a long-running feud between Sir Sadiq and Mr Trump, who previously called the London mayor a ‘stone cold loser’ in 2019.

This came after Sir Sadiq allowed a giant inflatable ‘Trump baby’ blimp to coincide with the US President’s state visit that year. 

In 2016, Mr Trump challenged Sir Sadiq to an IQ test after he said the president’s views on Islam were ‘ignorant’.

They clashed in May last year when he slammed the American politician’s jibe that London was ‘unrecognisable’ because the city had ‘opened its doors to jihad’.

As he celebrated winning a third term as mayor last year, Mr Khan said Londoners had ‘slammed the door shut’ on Mr Trump’s ‘hard-right populism’.

Mr Khan voiced concerns last summer that a Trump victory would spark a surge in hate towards himself and his family.

He has urged Keir Starmer to take a more openly critical approach to his foe over issues such as women’s rights, saying Labour ‘shouldn’t pretend’ they were not supporting Kamala Harris.

Sir Sadiq carefully stopped short of congratulating Mr Trump as the US results rolled in last November, instead noting that Londoners would be ‘fearful’ about his return.

But the mayor did later say he was ‘putting out the hand of friendship’.

‘Firstly it’s really important I say this because I abide by the rules of the game,’ he said.

‘Donald Trump has won the election; he’s going to be the president in January. And I wish him well, I congratulate him on winning the election.’