London’s newly elected Muslim Mayor Sadiq Khan rejected presumed presidential nominee Donald Trump’s offer to be an exception to his planned travel ban for all Muslims and then endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.
“This isn’t just about me. It’s about my friends, my family and everyone who comes from a background similar to mine, anywhere in the world,” said Khan.
Khan, who won the London mayoralty convincingly Saturday, slammed the presumptive GOP nominee for his “ignorant” views on Islam and argued Trump “could make both our countries less safe,” the BBC reports.
A former cabinet minister and member of parliament, Khan is a member of the Labour Party — the sister party of Democrats in Britain. The London mayor said he hoped Clinton would win the Democratic nomination and beat Trump for the presidency.
“I hope she trounces him,” said Khan. Trump made the exception to his travel ban in an interview with The New York Times. “There will always be exceptions,” Trump said Monday.
Trump said he was “happy” to see London elect its first Mulsim mayor and wished Khan well in his new role.”I think it’s a very good thing, and I hope he does a very good job because frankly that would be very, very good.”
“I think if he does a great job, it will really — you lead by example, always lead by example. If he does a good job, and frankly if he does a great job, that would be a terrific thing,” he added.
Khan told Time Magazine Monday that Trump’s travel ban for Muslims would impede his ability to learn from colleagues in the US.
“I want to go to America to meet with and engage with American mayors,” Khan told Time. “If Donald Trump becomes the president I’ll be stopped from going there by virtue of my faith.”
Khan won the London mayoral race at 1,310,143 votes compared to his Conservative opponent Zac Goldsmith’s 994,614, giving him the largest personal mandate in British electoral history, according to the BBC.
The campaign was seen as bitter and divisive, with the Labour Party and media commentators accusing the Conservatives of indulging in dog-whistle politics and Islamaphobia.
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