Watch: Trump slams Keir Starmer’s pal Sadiq Khan as ‘nasty person’ in awkward video moment

TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND: US President Donald Trump sparked controversy during his UK visit after taking aim at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, branding him a "nasty person" and criticizing his leadership as “terrible.”

The comments, made while standing beside Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland, left the British leader visibly uneasy as he struggled to respond to Trump’s unexpected outburst.

What did Donald Trump say about Keir Starmer’s friend Sadiq Khan?

President Donald Trump is currently in Scotland for high-level talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with key topics on the agenda including trade tariffs, the conflict in Gaza, and the ongoing war in Ukraine. During the meeting, Trump expressed his fondness for Starmer, while also praising Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

"I happen to like both men," Trump said. "I like this man (Sir Keir) a lot, and I like Nigel. And, you know, I don’t know the politics over here. I don’t know where they stand. I would say one is slightly liberal, not that liberal, slightly, and the other one is slightly conservative, but they’re they’re both good men."

However, not everyone received such warm words. Trump took a swipe at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, describing him bluntly as a "nasty person" and criticizing his leadership.

“I’m not a fan of your mayor,” Trump said. “I think he’s done a terrible job… a nasty person.”

The remark caught Starmer off guard, putting him in a difficult position. Laughing awkwardly, the prime minister reached out to interrupt Trump and clarified, “He’s a friend of mine, actually.” 

Despite the attempted intervention, Trump doubled down: “I think he’s done a terrible job. But I would certainly visit London.”

While Trump’s UK visit is being hailed as an "unprecedented and very special state visit," it will notably not include a speech to Parliament. Starmer described the occasion as featuring "many elements of it that have never been seen before."

Donald Trump questions UK censorship powers as Keir Starmer defends child safety measures

During the press conference, a reporter asked President Trump about potential censorship of his social media platform, referencing newly introduced powers in the UK.

“Mr president, you have a successful social media site. There are new powers here to censor your sites, state-mandated power,” the reporter said.

“You mean Truth?” Trump replied, referring to his platform, Truth Social. “I don't think he's going to censor me because I say only good things. Will you please uncensor my site?” he added, turning to Prime Minister Starmer, who was seated beside him.

Caught off guard by the question, Starmer firmly denied any such action. “No, no, no, no—we’re not censoring anyone,” he responded. “We have got some measures which are there to protect children, in particular from sites like suicide...we have too many cases in the United Kingdom where young children, um, taking their lives and when you look through their social media, they have been accessing sites which talk about suicide.”

Internet sparks debate after Donald Trump criticizes Keir Starmer’s pal Sadiq Khan 

A video of Donald Trump criticizing Keir Starmer's friend has gone viral, sparking a wave of reactions from internet users.

One user wrote, "Trump has completely embarrassed Starmer on home soil."

Another slammed, "Very disrespectful Trump is to do that in front on UK prime minister."

One user noticed, "Starmer offers no defense, just sits grinning like a chump."

One individual explained, "Trump spitting facts while Starmer squirms uncomfortably. Outstanding."

One user agreed with Trump's stance about Khan, "Trump is 100% correct.. Starmer is also a "nasty person" so the fact that they are friends isn't surprising."

Another user mocked, "Starmer needs to choose his friends wisely! 😂😂😂"

A user added, "He's a friend of mine? Thats your defense? 😂"

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.