Donald Trump sparks political backlash with tribute to Muhammad Ali

But last year, Ali issued a statement entitled “Presidential Candidates Proposing to Ban Muslim Immigration to the United States”, in which he said: “We as Muslims have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda.”

Many have interpreted the statement as a criticism of Mr Trump’s suggested policy, but Ali failed to mention him by name.

Asked about the statement on Saturday, Mr Trump said he did not “believe that was about me”. “He never mentioned the name or anything like that,” he said, adding that if it were about him, Ali “would have mentioned the name”.