Donald Trump has described Jeremy Corbyn, a staunch critic of the US president, as a “negative force,” revealing that he rejected a meeting with the Labour Party leader.

“I don’t know Jeremy Corbyn,” Trump told reporters during a press conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday. “He wanted to meet today. I said no. He is somewhat of a negative force. I have decided not to meet.”

Labour has confirmed Jeremy Corbyn did ask President Trump for a meeting (which he declined). — Kate McCann (@KateEMcCann) June 4, 2019

Corbyn will speak at the Trump protest because that is where he is happiest: as a protester and dissident, not involved in the grubby world of actual government. He is who he is. — Stig Abell (@StigAbell) June 3, 2019

Understand from source close to Jeremy Corbyn that the Labour leader did offer Trump a meeting - despite literally going on a protest to decry him — Ross Kempsell (@rosskempsell) June 4, 2019

The Labour Party confirmed to the media that Corbyn had indeed asked Trump to meet to discuss “a range of issues, including the climate emergency, threats to peace and the refugee crisis.” Instead, Corbyn spent Tuesday afternoon addressing a protest rally in London, slamming Trump’s handling of the above issues and his supposed “racism.”

Corbyn slotted into his role as dissident on Monday too, boycotting the state banquet laid out for Trump at Buckingham Palace.

For Trump, “negative” was the word of the day. After a back-and-forth spat with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the president attacked Khan’s record on crime and called the mayor a “negative force, not a positive force” who “should actually focus on his job.” Earlier, Khan had called Trump a “poster boy for the far-right."

"He's a negative force"Donald J. Trump continues his spat with Sadiq Khan during a joint press conference with Theresa May.Should they both let it go? pic.twitter.com/80VDP9kY0i — RT UK (@RTUKnews) June 4, 2019

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