Donald Trump: Piers Morgan, Muhammad Ali and others criticising Republican candidate after Muslim ban speech

A variety of world leaders have also criticised the comments

Trump has faced a huge backlash in the wake of his latest comments (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

A number of friends and acquaintances of the Republican frontrunner Donald Trump have distanced themselves from him following his controversial policy pledge to ban Muslims from entering the US.

Mr Trump has been widely criticised since making and then defending the pledge and has received international condemnation from the likes of David Cameron, Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage, Benjamin Netanyahu, Barack Obama, Ban Ki-Moon and the London metropolitan police, to name a few.

A UK petition calling to ban him from the UK has also reached 380,000 signatures.

However, despite a history of controversial quotes, it is now that sources closer to home for Mr Trump are speaking out.

Russell Simmons

Trump and Simmons in 2005 (REX Features)

On Wednesday the Def-Jam co-founder wrote an open letter to his “old friend” on Global Grind, where he issued strong words to the 69-year-old.

The Hip-Hop mogul acknowledged Trump had been an “amazing friend” but said he will be “campaigning rigorously” against him.

Simmons claims he was penning the essay as “what’s at stake is bigger than our friendship” and advised him to “stop the bullsh*t”.

“My friends, both Muslims and Jews, are saying there are so many comparisons between your rap and Hitler’s and I cannot disagree with them, Donald… You are a generous, kind man who has built a career on negotiating deals where everybody wins. Now, you seem like a one-man wrecking ball willing to destroy our nation’s foundation of freedom.

“Stop the bullsh*t. Stop fuelling fires of hate. Don’t feed into the rhetoric created by small-minded people.”

Muhammed Ali

#TBT With my friend Muhammad Ali

Posted by Donald J. Trump on Thursday, 7 May 2015

The legendary boxer, who converted to Islam in 1964, also released a statement saying he believes political leaders should “use their position to bring understanding about the religion of Islam” and called on Muslims to “stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda”.

Just six months ago, Mr Trump posted an old photograph of himself with Ali, who he referred to as “my friend”.

Piers Morgan

Trump and Morgan in 2010 (John W. Ferguson/Getty Images)

Morgan, who claims to have been friends with Mr Trump for “almost a decade” after he picked Morgan to win the US version of The Celebrity Apprentice in 2008, addressed the Republican candidate directly.

In his column for the Mail Online, Morgan told Mr Trump his call for a Muslim ban was “completely, utterly and dangerously wrong” and said it would “violate international law”.

“Your ugly choice of rhetoric will make them vulnerable to attack and stigmatisation, as we gave already witnessed since last week’s massacre,” Morgan wrote referring to the San Bernadino shooting.

The Republican Party

Paul Ryan, speaker of the House of Representatives and a Republican party member distanced the entire party from the frontrunner’s comments, saying in a press conference: “This is not conservatism. What was proposed is not what this party stands for, and more importantly it’s not what this country stands for.”

Mr Trump responded to the Republican criticism by hinting that he “might consider” leaving the party and running as an independent candidate.

Hillary Clinton

Despite running for the rival Democrat party, Clinton has a long history of acquaintance with Mr Trump. She and her husband, the former President Bill Clinton, reportedly even attended the billionaire’s wedding to Meliana in 2005.

The former Secretary of State responded to his comments by claiming his “hateful rhetoric” is providing Isis with new propaganda and harming anti-terrorism efforts.

Additionally, Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen stripped the businessman of the honorary degree they awarded him in 2010.

In a statement explaining their decision, they said: “Mr Trump has made a number of statements that are wholly incompatible with the ethos and values of the university.”

A number of former business partners and advisors of the real-estate mogul, particularly in the Middle East, have also sought to distance themselves following the divisive remarks.

Landmark Group, who's headquarters are in Dubai confirmed to the Independent on Tuesday, they would no longer be stocking products from the Trump Home decor range.

It is thought a number of other business interests in the region could be harmed as a result of his comments.