London terror suspect’s children told authorities he complained about Trump: inquiry

The man suspected in the 2017 terrorist attack on a London bridge, which killed five people, had a grudge against both President Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May, his children told British authorities.

Khalid Masood’s children told British counterterrorism officials that the 52-year-old English teacher had previously called May a “liar” and “sick,” while frequently complaining about the “racism and rudeness” presented by Trump, NBC News reported Wednesday.

{mosads}Police statements indicated that Masood texted religious writings to a number of friends before he allegedly carried out the attack, which began with the striking of pedestrians on London’s Westminster Bridge and ended with the stabbing of an unarmed police officer. But Masood’s ex-girlfriend stated that she was surprised to hear that he claimed to be religious.

“Adrian was vile,” his ex-girlfriend said in a statement read in court, using Masood’s given name, Adrian Elms. “He was controlling, violent, obsessive, intelligent and narcissistic. I am amazed he was religious. I honestly believe this was a front, an excuse to hurt people. He will have loved the attention and fear that he caused.”

“They’ll say I’m a terrorist. I’m not,” Masood reportedly told his mother days before the attack, according to the report.

The woman added that Masood once grabbed her by the neck and threatened to strangle her, adding that he would rape her mother if she told authorities, NBC reports.

His children, however, added to Scotland Yard investigator Dan Brown that “[Masood] thought he was going to die fighting for God,” according to the news report.

Masood died at the scene of the attack last year, and police have said there is no evidence that he carried out the attack with the assistance of others.

Last year saw a 23 percent decrease in the total number of reported terror attacks around the globe over 2016, with the largest decrease being attributed to a drop in violence in Iraq, according to the U.S. State Department.

–Updated on Sept. 20 at 10 a.m.