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Donald Trump calls Saudi prince Alwaleed bin Talal 'dopey'

Trump says Alwaleed bin Talal won't be able to 'control US politicians' if he is elected president
Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump speaks at a town hall style campaign rally (AFP)

Donald Trump has called billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal “dopey”, after he criticised the US presidential candidate’s call to ban Muslims from the US.

Early on Saturday morning Donald Trump tweeted that Alwaleed wants to control American politicians “with daddy’s money”.

Alwaleed, who is estimated to be worth over $24 billion, is an unusually outspoken member of the Saudi royal family, who chairs Kingdom Holding Co.

The diversified firm's interests include US-banking giant Citigroup.

Alwaleed tweeted on Friday calling for Trump to pull out of the presidential race, calling the Republican candidate “a disgrace”.

A statement early on Saturday from Alwaleed's office said his tweet was in response to Trump's "anti-Islam statement".

Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, has been lambasted both in the US and abroad for his proposal made on Monday to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the US.

Trump's comments followed a shooting rampage by a Muslim couple in San Bernardino, California, which left 14 dead.

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