Trump Denied Muhammad Ali’s Heroism Before Praising Him
Questioned whether “Muslims are our sports heroes.”
Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was one of many celebrities to mournfully react Saturday morning to the death of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, tweeting that he was “A truly great champion and a wonderful guy. He will be missed by all!”
Muhammad Ali is dead at 74! A truly great champion and a wonderful guy. He will be missed by all!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 4, 2016
However, just seven months earlier, Trump denied Ali’s heroism even existed.
After President Obama criticized the real-estate mogul’s proposal to ban Muslim immigration by noting that, among other fields, Muslim-Americans are “our sports heroes.” Trump, of course, did not take kindly to the ridicule, responding by denying the existence of Muslim sports icons: “Obama said in his speech that Muslims are our sports heroes. What sport is he talking about, and who? Is Obama profiling?”
Obama said in his speech that Muslims are our sports heroes. What sport is he talking about, and who? Is Obama profiling?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2015
Ali converted to Islam in the mid-1960s. Other Muslim-American sports heroes include basketball legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, and Hakeem Olajuwon.
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