Donald Trump claims London hospital ‘like a war zone’ due to knife attacks
2 min read
Donald Trump has risked a fresh row ahead of his first trip to the UK as American president by claiming knife attacks had left a London hospital “like a war zone”.
He made the remarks as he addressed the pro-gun National Rifle Association convention in Dallas.
The maverick billionaire said that despite “unbelievable tough gun laws” in Britain, violence was still a major problem.
President Trump’s comments came as he prepared to visit the UK capital in July for talks with Theresa May.
He said: “I recently read a story that in London, which has unbelievably tough gun laws, a once very prestigious hospital, right in the middle, is like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds.
“Yes, that’s right, they don’t have guns, they have knives and instead there’s blood all over the floors of this hospital. They say it’s as bad as a military war zone hospital.”
He then stabbed the air several times and said: “Knives, knives, knives.”
The president added: “London hasn’t been used to that. They’re getting used to it. Pretty tough. We’re here today because we recognise a simple fact: the one thing that has always stood between the American people and the elimination of our second amendment rights has been conservatives in Congress willing to fight for those rights. We’re fighting.”
It is not the first time President Trump has sparked controversy by commenting on events in the UK. In February, he claimed the NHS was “broke and not working”, leading to an angry response
from Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
President Trump will visit Britain on 13 July. According to the BBC, he could visit Scotland - where his mother was born - during the trip.
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