Donald Trump has warned that he may not have a “very good relationship” with David Cameron after the Prime Minister branded his proposal to ban Muslims from the US “stupid”.
The presidential hopeful also sniped at new London Mayor Sadiq Khan, calling him “ignorant” for comments he made after being elected, and warning him: “I will remember those statements.”
The presumptive Republican nominee, who is likely to go against Democrat Hillary Clinton in a bid for the White House in November, was speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
Mr Cameron has refused to retract comments he made about the billionaire tycoon’s proposed temporary ban on Muslims entering the US, that he branded “divisive, stupid and wrong”.
Asked how the stand-off could affect relations should he be elected, Mr Trump said: “It looks like we are not going to have a very good relationship. Who knows, I hope to have a good relationship with him but he’s not willing to address the problem either.”
Mr Trump said he was “not stupid” and denied he was divisive. He said: “I’m a unifier, unlike our president now, I’m a unifier.”
On being elected London Mayor, Mr Khan said Mr Trump was “ignorant” in his views on Islam and he risked harming security on both sides of the Atlantic.
Mr Trump said: “He doesn’t know me, hasn’t met me, doesn’t know what I’m all about. I think they were very rude statements and, frankly, tell him I will remember those statements. They are very nasty statements.”
He added: “When he won I wished him well. Now, I don’t care about him, I mean, it doesn’t make any difference to me, let’s see how he does, let’s see if he’s a good mayor.”
Mr Trump said he was offended by Mr Khan’s public denouncement but denied he was “at war” with him.
Speaking after his election, the mayor said his “ignorant view of Islam could make both of our countries less safe – it risks alienating mainstream Muslims around the world and plays into the hands of extremists”.
Mr Trump said: “I just think it’s very rude of him. In fact it’s the opposite. I wished him well when I heard he won, he’s a Muslim, I think it’s ignorant for him to say that.”
He appeared to partially alter his call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the US after the new London mayor was sworn in, saying there would be “exceptions”.
The presidential hopeful said the policies he mooted on the campaign trail were just “suggestions”, but said there was a “tremendous” problem with Islamic extremism.
He said: “It’s not Sweden doing the damage – we have a real problem and we have to discuss it.”
