Freedom Kids lawsuit, sexual harassment claims, ‘Rocket Man’: 5 Trump controversies you might've forgotten
Suggesting there were no Muslim pro athletes
Many Americans likely remember when, during the 2016 presidential election season, Trump championed limits of immigration from nations where individuals were deemed to pose a terror threat to the United States.
Because it limited immigration from certain Muslim-majority countries, it was pejoratively referred to as the “Muslim ban.”
The countries affected by the travel ban were Eritrea, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Venezuela and Yemen.
These travel restrictions were first set in motion by former President Barack Obama, who in December 2015 signed into law the Visa Waiver Improvement Program and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act, which designated Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia as areas of concern.
What might have been forgotten was when Trump suggested on Twitter that there were no notable professional athletes who were Muslim.
“Obama said in his speech that Muslims are our sports heroes. What sport is he talking about, and who? Is Obama profiling?” tweeted Trump in December 2015.
Many were quick to denounce his comments, pointing to, among other things, former champion boxer Muhammad Ali, who had been acquainted with Trump and would die months later.
Contradictorily, when Ali died, Trump tweeted his condolences, saying that the late boxer was a “truly great champion and a wonderful guy. He will be missed by all!”
