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Trump wants to ban Muslims from America, even though they helped build his empire
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Donald Trump just called for a complete shutdown of Muslims in America. Here's why that'll hurt his presidential campaign. - photo by Herb Scribner
Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" on Monday as a response to the attacks in both Paris and San Bernardino, California, by Islamic extremists in recent weeks, according to The Huffington Post.

This ban would apply to everybody, including Muslims who come into the country on tourist visas, according The Huffington Post.

As expected, this comment fueled a number of reactions, most of which cast Trump in a negative light. The Huffington Posts founder Arianna Huffington published a note that her organization would no longer cover Trump in the Entertainment section and would call the GOP leader out for any racist, sexist or inappropriate comment he makes.

Similarly, JK Rowling said on Twitter that Trump was worse than Voldemort, the fictional villain from the Harry Potter series.

And The Philadelphia Daily News compared Trump to Hitler with a brazen front-page headlined that used a furor pun, according to Business Insider.

While many are debating over whether Trumps comments were fascist or highlighting the politicians alleged bigotry, others, like Heather Timmons of Quartz, have pointed to the irony in all of this negative comments towards Muslims could actually hurt his presidential campaign since the Trump organization, which funds his campaign, relies heavily on Muslim investors.

In fact, some of Trumps real estate and licensing income relies in part on wealthy Muslims, and Muslim-backed businesses, both located in the US and overseas and particularly on a willingness to pay handsomely for things with the Trump name on them, Timmons wrote.

Organizations like Qatar Airways, owned by Qatar, where Islam is the official religion, have a corporate campus in New Yorks Trump Tower, and some Saudi princes also occupy space in the Trump Tower, Timmons wrote.

Many of the newest things that are getting the Trump name are in the Middle East, where the company has been adding real estate projects and partnerships, Timmons wrote.

The influence is nothing new, either. Saudi Prince Alwaleed even took majority control of New Yorks Plaza hotel in 1990, which gave Trump a little more room with bank creditors, according to Quartz. Alwaleed also purchased one of Trumps yachts as his casinos in Atlantic City crumbled, too, back in the early '90s.

The presidential race aside, these statements could potentially fiscally impact the Trump Organization that Donald heads, and which is helping to bankroll his presidential run, Timmons wrote.

Prominent United Arab Emirates businessman Khalaf Al Habtoor announced Monday he was wrong to support Trump after hearing his call for a complete ban, according to NBC News.

"When he was talking about Muslims, attacking them ... I had to admit I made a mistake in my supporting Mr. Trump," Al Habtoor, chairman of the Al Habtoor group, told NBC News. "He is creating a hatred between Muslims and the United States of America."

Trumps negative stance on Muslims is nothing new, though, and yet he still continues to lead the GOP nomination field by double digits.

In fact, throughout 2015, Trump has gone to extreme lengths to show he doesnt support Muslims, according to The Atlantic.

He told one rally member in New Hampshire that he and his staff were looking at a number of options to get rid of Muslims from the country, and he also called for a Muslim database for which American Muslims would have to register, The Atlantic reported.

Trump has also publicly suggested that Muslims be required to carry special ID cards, pledged to order warrantless spying on American Muslims, and even threatened to close down American mosques, The Atlantic reported.

Trump has also slowly lost the support of his fellow GOPers, according to The Atlantic. Current presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Chris Christie, and even former vice president Dick Cheney, have publicly spoken out against Trumps statements on Muslims, The Atlantic reported.

But, as The Atlantic pointed out, its unlikely this will be the last time Trump uses Muslims to further his political campaign.

After all, a September 2015 poll found that 30 percent of Iowa Republicans feel Islam should be illegal in the United States, and 36 percent of Trump voters specifically feel the same.
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