British and American celebrities are expressing their outrage at President Donald Trump’s criticism of London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Twitter just hours after a terror attack in the city Saturday night.
British and American celebrities are expressing their outrage at President Donald Trump’s criticism of London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Twitter just hours after a terror attack in the city left seven dead and 48 injured Saturday night.
The President was criticizing Khan for telling residents of London that there is ‘no reason to be alarmed’ after three terrorists ran over a crowd of people and stabbed several others before being shot dead.
But Khan was talking about an increased police presence in the British capital when he said there was ‘no reason to be alarmed’.
He had earlier condemned the attacks as ‘barbaric’ and ‘cowardly’.
Celebrities, including JK Rowling, George Takei and Katie Couric have all taken to Twitter to express their outrage, condemning Trump’s tweets and telling him he was out of context.
Writer JK Rowling wrote: ‘It’s called ‘leadership’, Donald. The terrorists were dead 8 minutes after police got the call. If we need an alarmist blowhard, we’ll call.’
Comedian George Takei said: ‘He said there was no reason to be alarmed by the increased police presence over the next few days, you hare-brained miscreant. Sit down.’
‘Just imagine if they had easy, unfettered access to powerful semi-automatic weapons, ‘ he added.
Vlogger and YouTube star Hank Green reminded Trump of the context of Khan’s statement.
He wrote: ‘Full quote: “Londoners will see an increased police presence today and over the course of the next few days. No reason to be alarmed.”‘
‘We should all express our sympathy and support to the people of London and the officials there, ‘ wrote journalist Katie Couric.
Actor and comedian Jon Favreau tweeted: ‘It’s hard to read Trump’s tweets this morning and not think that we’re one domestic attack away from the most dangerous version of this guy’.
The attack occurred late Saturday night, beginning when three jihadis – who have not yet been identified – swerved into crowds of people on London bridge at speeds of up to 50mph shortly before 10: 10pm.
The three attackers, then left the van with 12-inch hunting knives and fake suicide vests and went on a random stabbing spree, shouting ‘this is for Allah’.
They then went on to nearby Borough Market, a popular nightlife area with packed-out restaurants and bars.
Armed police rushed to the scene and shot dead all three suspects within eight minutes of receiving the first emergency call and placed the area on lock-down.
By the end of the rampage, seven people were left dead and a further 48 were wounded.
In an interview on TV, Khan had said: ‘Londoners will see an increased police presence today and over the course of the next few days. There’s no reason to be alarmed.’
Then Sunday morning, Trump tweeted: ‘We must stop being politically correct and get down to the business of security for our people. If we don’t get smart it will only get worse.’
‘At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is “no reason to be alarmed!”‘
A spokesman for Khan’s office responded to Trump’s tweets, saying: ‘The Mayor is busy working with the police, emergency services and the government to coordinate the response to this horrific and cowardly terrorist attack.
‘He has more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump’s ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks urging Londoners not to be alarmed when they saw more police – including armed officers – on the streets.’
He added: ‘The advice to the public is to remain vigilant but carry on with their lives.’
Trump also used the terror attacks in London as a jumping-off point to bring up a series of US policy questions.
Shortly after his tweet about Khan, Trump hit out at calls for tighter gun laws in the US, noting that the London attackers didn’t use firearms in their assault.
‘Do you notice we are not having a gun debate right now?’ he asked. ‘That’s because they used knives and a truck!’
And his first response to the attack was to tweet: ‘We need to be smart, vigilant and tough. We need the courts to give us back our rights. We need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety!’
It was only after making his travel ban tweet that Trump addressed the attack on the UK.
‘Whatever the United States can do to help out in London and the U. K., we will be there – WE ARE WITH YOU. GOD BLESS!’ he tweeted.
Other celebrities criticized Trump’s decision to push his political agenda before expressing his solidarity with the British people and some people implied that the British weren’t interested in his solidarity.
‘Trump: I stand with London, ‘ Daily Beast Editor Erin Gloria Ryan tweeted. ‘London: Please go stand somewhere else.’
‘If you’re gearing up to write a tweet about how Britain ‘needs’ hundreds of thousands of guns – thanks for your concern, but jog on, ‘ British writer Samantha Shannon wrote.
Scottish author John Niven wrote: ‘Dear NRA nuts telling us guns will help us: more Americans die from firearms every week than last 3 London terror attacks combined.’
‘They had to use knives and a truck because they couldn’t get hold of guns, ‘ said Robert Harris. ‘Imagine the carnage if they had & had returned police fire.’
British actor Kunal Nayyar tweeted: ‘Now imagine if they had semi automatic weapons that can shoot 100 bullets a minute’.
And some Americans were just ashamed by the US President.
Josh Gad wrote: ‘Please know that many of us are ashamed.
