Trump in December: What Muslim sports heroes?
After presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump tweeted to pay tribute to boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who died on Friday, critics took to social media to call Trump a hypocrite for his proposed ban on allowing Muslims to enter the U.S. and a previous tweet about Muslim athletes.
{mosads}“Obama said in his speech that Muslims are our sports heroes. What sport is he talking about, and who?” Trump tweeted in December.
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
“Muslim Americans are our friends and our neighbors, our co-workers, our sports heroes. And, yes, they are our men and women in uniform who are willing to die in defense of our country. We have to remember that,” President Obama said in a speech after Trump first announcned his proposed ban on Muslims entering the country.
Ali, a prominent civil rights activist who called himself a “proud Muslim,” had publicly criticized the ban.
“We as Muslims have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda. They have alienated many from learning about Islam,” Ali said in a statement after Trump vocalized his proposal. “I am a Muslim and there is nothing Islamic about killing innocent people in Paris, San Bernardino, or anywhere else in the world.”
Twitter quickly responded after Trump’s reaction to Ali’s death, and critics were quick to point to his old post.
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
.@realDonaldTrump you are the epitome of everything he despised
— Brian Gaar (@briangaar) June 4, 2016
Has anyone juxtaposed that Trump tweet about Muslim sports stars and his tribute to Muhammed Ali yet?
— Martyn (@moc_moc_a_moc) June 4, 2016
Trump tweets about what a Great AMerican Muhammad Ali was… not realizing that Ali was a Muslim. Trump will probably remove that tweet too
— unknowncomic (@unknowncomic) June 4, 2016
Trump will tweet his condolences and call Muhammad Ali a champion but a few months ago he was denying Muslim sporting heroes existed!
— hodo (@_Hxdx_) June 4, 2016
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