The son of famous boxer and civil rights icon Muhammad Ali said his father would not have supported the “racist” Black Lives Matter movement.
“It’s not just black lives matter, white lives matter, Chinese lives matter, all lives matter, everybody’s life matters,” Muhammad Ali Jr., the boxer’s only biological son, told the New York Post.
“God loves everyone — he never singled anyone out,” he added. “Killing is wrong, no matter who it is.”
Ali Jr. believes his father, who fought against racism throughout his life, would have been disturbed by the violence and looting that has taken place since the death of George Floyd.
“Don’t bust up shit. Don’t trash the place,” Ali Jr. said. “You can peacefully protest. My father would have said, ‘They ain’t nothing but devils.’ My father said, ‘All lives matter.’ I don’t think he’d agree.”
Ali Jr. also defended law enforcement amid calls to disband and defund police departments across the United States as a response to Floyd’s death.
“Police don’t wake up and think, ‘I’m going to kill a n—– today or kill a white man,’” he said. “They’re just trying to make it back home to their family in one piece.”
Ali Jr. said, “Not all the police are bad, there’s just a few. There’s a handful of police that are crooked. They should be locked up. I never had a bad scene with a cop. They’ve always been nice and protect me. I don’t have a problem with them.”
On the subject of Floyd’s death specifically, Ali Jr. believes the officer was “wrong” but pointed out there is footage that is not often seen showing Floyd resisting arrest and that the officer was “doing his job” but “used the wrong tactic.”
Ali Jr. had strong words for members of antifa who have been responsible for some of the violence that has erupted since Floyd’s death, arguing that they are “no different from Muslim terrorists.”
“They’re no different from Muslim terrorists,” he said. “They should all get what they deserve. They’re f—ing up businesses, beating up innocent people in the neighborhood, smashing up police stations and shops. They’re terrorists — they’re terrorizing the community. I agree with the peaceful protests, but the antifa, they need to kill everyone in that thing.”
On the subject of politics, Ali Jr. says he supports President Trump and that his father, who died four years ago this month, would have supported him as well.
“I think Trump’s a good president,” Ali Jr. said. “My father would have supported him. Trump’s not a racist, he’s for all the people. Democrats are the ones who are racist and not for everybody.”
