London Mayor Could Be Exception To Proposed Ban On Muslims: Trump

UPDATE: 5 a.m. EDT — In a rejoinder to Donald Trump’s suggestion that London’s newly elected Muslim mayor could be an exception to his proposed ban on the entry of Muslims into the U.S., Sadiq Khan said Tuesday that making an exception for him was not what he wanted.

“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,” Khan said, adding: “Donald Trump’s ignorant view of Islam could make both our countries less safe — it risks alienating mainstream Muslims around the world and plays into the hands of the extremists.”

Original story:

In an interview with Time, conducted on Sunday and published Monday, London’s newly-elected and first-ever Muslim Mayor Sadiq Khan said “the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency might force him to meet U.S. mayors before the end of the year.” He was referring, of course, to Trump’s proposal — made in the immediate aftermath of the Paris attacks in November — to temporarily ban the entry of Muslims into the U.S. if he were elected president.

When asked by the New York Times on Monday about what he thought of London’s new mayor, Trump said: “I was happy to see that. I think it’s a very good thing, and I hope he does a very good job.” The presumptive Republican nominee, whose ban proposal has been criticized widely, also said “there will always be exceptions,” when responding to how the proposed ban would affect Khan.

Mentioning New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel specifically, Khan told Time: “I want to go to America to meet with and engage with American mayors. If Donald Trump becomes the president I’ll be stopped from going there by virtue of my faith, which means I can’t engage with American mayors and swap ideas.”

Khan added that if Trump became the president, he would visit the U.S. before the Republican can take office in January.