NBA star Charles Barkley has made headlines several times this week for controversial remarks regarding politically conservative black Americans.
On Monday, Barkley threatened to punch black supporters of former President Donald Trump in the face.
The former NBA star turned sports commentator was evidently angered by recent comments Trump made about the growing level of support he is receiving from the black community.
Two days later, on CNN’s “King Charles” show, co-host Gayle King said coyly to Barkley: “I don’t know if you know, normally, you know, we’re sitting here and we don’t make the news, but this past week, Charles, I don’t know if you know but you’ve been in the news for some comments you made on our last show.”
Barkley responded by reinforcing his previous comments, saying:
Number one, obviously, I’m not gonna go around punching random strangers in the face – first and foremost. Secondly, people can vote for who they want to.
People can vote for who they want to. The point I was trying to make, no, the point I was making, I wasn’t trying to make it – when Donald Trump compares his plight with that of the black person, that is what I had a problem with.
Now, I do wanna say this. I want to make it perfectly clear. If you’re a black person and you wearing a Donald Trump mugshot, you are a freaking idiot.
And I’m only saying freakin’ idiot because they won’t let me say what I really wanna say. But you can figure it out. It starts with an F.
Barkley added, “I’ll stick by what I said. “If you’re wearing a Trump mugshot around, you are a freakin’ idiot.”
Charles Barkley doubles down on criticism of black people wearing Trump mugshot merch and calls them 'freakin' idiots' – days after he said he would 'punch' anyone he saw in MAGA clothes https://t.co/3DLJ0cwZzW . #Trump2024
— NahBabyNah (@NahBabyNah) March 7, 2024
King attempted to throw Barkley a lifeline, saying to her co-host, “But you aren’t gonna go just randomly attacking people in the street. That’s the only point I wanted to make.”
Barkley replied, “Unless they had Trump sneakers on too.”
During Monday’s interview, Barkley commented on a clip of Trump speaking after his South Carolina primary win that showed many black Americans in the crowd sporting shirts emblazoned with the former president’s mugshot, a fact Trump did not hesitate to mention.
Last summer, Trump was indicted and forced to self-surrender to the court and be processed as a criminal. Though not cuffed, Trump was ordered to pose for a mugshot.
The left celebrated the spectacle, which Trump vowed was part of a politically motivated “witch hunt” and the work of a “weaponized Department of Justice.”
Remarkably, Trump has used his mugshot to rally public support and pull ahead in the polls.
Of his growing support, Trump recently said: “You know who embraced [me] more than anybody else? The black population. It’s incredible. You see black people walking around with my mugshot — you know they do shirts.”
Barkley responded to Trump’s statement by saying, “If I see a black person walking around with a Trump mugshot, I’m gonna punch him in the face.”
"If I see a Black person walking around with a Trump mug shot, I’m gonna punch him in the face." – Charles Barkley pic.twitter.com/g8sbf4AEMy
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 4, 2024
