Days after he first called for a total ban on Muslim immigration to the United States last December, Donald Trump questioned whether there is such a thing as a Muslim sports hero:
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
It was unfathomable that Trump could forget Muhammad Ali, the consensus greatest boxer in history, a world-renown activist-athlete who always put his identity as a Muslim front and center.
As news of Ali’s death circulated this morning, Trump suddenly remembered Ali:
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
Meanwhile, the Obamas released a statement acknowledging Ali’s Muslim faith and and remembering the champ as having a name “as familiar to the downtrodden in the slums of Southeast Asia and the villages of Africa as it was to the cheering crowds in Madison Square Garden.”
President Obama and Michelle Obama on the death of Muhammad Ali pic.twitter.com/cy0WGYnUKS
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) June 4, 2016
Trump actually met Ali on numerous occasions. In fact, in 2007, Trump was even presented with a Muhammad Ali Award at a charity event hosted by The Greatest himself.
But Ali wasn’t a fan of Trump’s politics. After Trump called for a Muslim ban in the wake of the San Bernardino shootings, Ali released a short and stinging statement criticizing Trump’s proposal.
“Speaking as someone who has never been accused of political correctness, I believe that our political leaders should use their position to bring understanding about the religion of Islam and clarify that these misguided murderers have perverted people’s views on what Islam really is,” Ali said.