Trump and Khan: It's Back On!

When Trump and Starmer met in Scotland yesterday, little did anyone know that the online scrap between the London Mayor Sir (Sir?) Sadiq Khan and Donald Trump would reignite.

Mr. Trump was asked if he would visit London on his state visit. Mr. Trump replied, "I will, I'm not a fan of your mayor, he's done a terrible job. A nasty person, I think". Sir Keir countered: "He's a friend of mine". However, Trump doubled down and repeated, "I think he's done a terrible job, but I will visit London, I hope so".

In reply to the president's off-the-cuff remark, Khan's office replied: "Sadiq is delighted that President Trump wants to come to the greatest city in the world".

"He'd see how our diversity makes us stronger, richer, not poorer". Perhaps these are the reasons why a record number of Americans have applied for British citizenship under his presidency". The footnote recorded that Khan had won the mayoral election 3 times.

During Trump's first term in office, he and Mr. Khan exchanged barbs. Trump called Khan "a stone-cold loser who should focus on crime in London". Khan responded by describing the president as "a poster boy for racists". Khan commented on Trump's second term in the White House. Saying many Londoners would be fearful about what it would mean for "democracy".

However, with Sir Keir wanting to be friends with Trump, Khan became more conciliatory. Before Trump was sworn in January of this year, Sir Sadiq said he wanted to "work closely" with the American president. Hoping that their relationship would be friendlier than the last time around. With no online spats and a better atmosphere of cooperation.

Conversely, now that Trump has ignited the feud between them again, all bets are off. One should know offend or please Trump does not mince his words. The president has a temper, as was seen when he used the "F" bomb about Iran and Israel. Some say Trump is very thin-skinned and retaliates to barbs from others. However, tit for tat is human, something we are all capable of. And that's certainly the case with Khan and Trump. You would think that, as men in the political limelight, they would know better. But no, like little kids, they exchange barbs with each other and besmirch each other's reputations. This is the age we live in, where people don't debate calmly with each other or listen. The Piers Morgan Uncensored Show is one such show. Morgan and his guests with different opinions engage in combative debates. Morgan allows them to talk over each other and interrupt each other. Morgan butts in like an adult with unruly kids.

The arena of today's media has allowed for such rude debates and insults. Social media platforms are places where people can post their views. And you are free or not to comment. It usually ends up in name-calling and accusations. Gone out of the window are the days when in polite society you could disagree with someone but still be gracious and civil to one another. Gone are the days when all views were accepted, even though you may not agree. It's a time where certain views are accepted and anything contrary is cancelled, shut down, and seen as irrelevant. Where everything is extreme and aggressive like two silverback apes. With apes, they know no better; however, one questions humans as a species. Are we not supposed to know better?

So Trump and Khan, in their disputes, whether by social media or any other form of communication, are not oddities of our times, but a sign of our times.

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