Richard Branson said Donald Trump would be a "disaster" and that many of his Republican friends don't support him. | Getty Richard Branson says Trump shouldn't be president

Donald Trump would be a "disaster" as president, English business mogul Richard Branson wrote Friday.

“I would like to see an entrepreneur become President one day,” Branson, who founded Virgin Group, wrote in a blog post. “I believe entrepreneurial thinking is incredibly valuable in leaders, and there are many entrepreneurs who I would be delighted to see in power — just not this one.”


Branson, who will return to the U.S. next week, said that during his visit here last week, the first question anybody asked him involved the presidential election, which he noted he has “been following intently.”

“This is a US election but far more than that: the vote will have major implications on the rest of the world,” he wrote. “With that in mind, I wanted to share my view on why a Donald Trump presidency would be a disaster.”

Indeed, he cast the election as “a monumental decision” to vote for “a safe pair of hands and a leader of supreme experience and knowhow” in Hillary Clinton — or, simply put, Trump.

Many of Branson’s American friends are registered Republicans who won’t support Trump, he said, “due to his extreme views, and his shocking ignorance of policy.”

Branson outlined what make an entrepreneur great: listening, being selfless, delegating the work and aiming to make a positive difference in the world.

“Great entrepreneurs build businesses with purpose at their heart and always treat people with respect. These are not characteristics I see in Mr Trump — neither in his previous business dealings, nor in this campaign,” he wrote, going on to present the contrast with Trump as starkest when put against President Barack Obama.

“Whether you agree with all of his policies or not, he treats people with respect, humility and common sense,” Branson said of the president. “I feel confident Hillary Clinton would continue on the same path.”

As for Trump, though, his “temperament is irrational, aggressive and he lacks informed ideas on how to grow jobs in America. An entrepreneur president would put that at the heart of his plans and yet his fear-based campaign blames immigrants and open borders,” Branson said. “America was built upon a collective embracing of diversity and openness — not division and close-mindedness. There are too many examples of Mr Trump’s lack of empathy and respect to name. I agree with many on both sides of America’s political aisle that he is unfit for office."

He concluded: “Don’t be misled by uninformed, inflammatory remarks. With this in mind, make sure you vote for your future.”´