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Richard Branson Warns Of ‘Disaster' If Trump Wins

Branson wants an entrepreneur to be president — "just not this one."

Sir Richard Branson, the billionaire behind the ubiquitous Virgin brand, has torn a strip off Donald Trump in a blog post on his company website.

A Trump presidency “would be a disaster,” he wrote, while describing Hillary Clinton as “a safe pair of hands and a leader of supreme experience and knowhow.”

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Branson said he would like to see an entrepreneur become president of the United States, “just not this one.”

As I told Mr. Trump when we met many years ago ... we fundamentally disagree on what makes a great entrepreneur. I believe this involves being a good listener, putting others before oneself, being an effective delegator and striving to make a positive difference to the world. ... These are not characteristics I see in Mr Trump - neither in his previous business dealings, nor in this campaign.

Branson, a British citizen, can’t vote in U.S. elections but said he is “following intently” because the election “will have major implications on the rest of the world.”

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Branson made similar comments to the U.K.’s Daily Mirror last week.

Trump brand suffers from political backlash

Research from search-and-discovery app Foursquare suggests Trump’s campaign is affecting businesses branded with his name.

The company tracks “foot traffic intelligence” on commercial properties, and found visits to Trump-branded hotels, casinos and golf courses were down 19 per cent in September, from the same month two years earlier.

And there does seem to be a correlation with political views. In Democratic-leaning blue states, traffic was down 21 per cent, but in swing purple states, it was down only four per cent, Foursquare found.

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Also on HuffPost

18 Real Things Donald Trump Has Said About Women
That giving your wife "negotiable assets" is a terrible mistake.(01 of13)
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“I would never buy Ivana any decent jewels or pictures. Why give her negotiable assets?” Trump is quoted as saying of his then-wife in a 1990 Vanity Fair piece. (credit:Vanity Fair)
That women are essentially aesthetically-pleasing objects.(02 of13)
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In his 2006 book Trump 101: The Way to Success, Trump wrote: "Beauty and elegance, whether in a woman, a building, or a work of art, is not just superficial or something pretty to see." (credit:Amazon)
That women on "The Apprentice" need to rely on sex appeal.(03 of13)
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"It's certainly not groundbreaking news that the early victories by the women on 'The Apprentice' were, to a very large extent, dependent on their sex appeal."-- How To Get Rich, 2004 (credit:Facebook/The Apprentice)
That bad press doesn't matter as long as you have a sexy girlfriend.(04 of13)
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"You know, it doesn't really matter what [the media] write as long as you've got a young and beautiful piece of ass." -- from an interview with Esquire, 1991

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That pumping breast milk is "disgusting."(05 of13)
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When a lawyer facing Trump in 2011 asked for a break to pump breastmilk for her infant daughter, The Donald reacted very poorly. "He got up, his face got red, he shook his finger at me and he screamed, 'You're disgusting, you're disgusting,' and he ran out of there," attorney Elizabeth Beck told CNN. Trump's attorney does not dispute that his client called Beck "disgusting."
That all women hate prenups, because they are gold diggers.(06 of13)
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“The most difficult aspect of the prenuptial agreement is informing your future wife (or husband): I love you very much, but just in case things don’t work out, this is what you will get in the divorce. There are basically three types of women and reactions. One is the good woman who very much loves her future husband, solely for himself, but refuses to sign the agreement on principle. I fully understand this, but the man should take a pass anyway and find someone else. The other is the calculating woman who refuses to sign the prenuptial agreement because she is expecting to take advantage of the poor, unsuspecting sucker she’s got in her grasp. There is also the woman who will openly and quickly sign a prenuptial agreement in order to make a quick hit and take the money given to her.” --Trump: The Art of the Comeback, 1997 (credit:Amazon)
That women have a "great act" going on to trick men.(07 of13)
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“Women have one of the great acts of all time. The smart ones act very feminine and needy, but inside they are real killers. The person who came up with the expression ‘the weaker sex’ was either very naive or had to be kidding. I have seen women manipulate men with just a twitch of their eye — or perhaps another body part.” -- Trump: The Art of the Comeback, 1997

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That Hillary would be a bad president because of her husband's actions.(08 of13)
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Just... what?

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That Angelina Jolie has dated too many guys to be attractive.(09 of13)
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“[Angelina Jolie’s] been with so many guys she makes me look like a baby... And, I just don’t even find her attractive," he said in an interview with Larry King in 2006.
That the best line in any movie is this beautiful gem.(10 of13)
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“My favorite part [of 'Pulp Fiction'] is when Sam has his gun out in the diner and he tells the guy to tell his girlfriend to shut up. Tell that bitch to be cool. Say: 'Bitch be cool.' I love those lines.” -- TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald, 2005 (credit:Amazon)
That a journalist who offended him had an ugly face.(11 of13)
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New York Times columnist Gail Collins recalled: "During one down period, I referred to him in print as a 'financially embattled thousandaire' and he sent me a copy of the column with my picture circled and 'The Face of a Dog!' written over it." (credit:Getty)
That women fawn all over him because he is rich and powerful.(12 of13)
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"Love him or hate him, Donald Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred," Trump said about himself one time. "Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." (credit:Getty)
That the ladies on "The Apprentice" are all super in to him.(13 of13)
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"All of the women on 'The Apprentice' flirted with me -- consciously or unconsciously. That's to be expected."-- How To Get Rich, 2004 (credit:Facebook)

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