NBA legend Charles Barkley has doubled down on his criticism of black people using mugshots of Donald Trump, labeling them “fucking idiots.”
Barkley sat down with Gayle King on Wednesday night’s edition of King Charles on CNN and discussed Saturday’s controversial comments in which he said he would “punch” any Black person he saw sporting MAGA gear.
He addressed the scathing comment over the weekend, clarifying that it stemmed from anger he felt after Trump addressed a crowd at the Black Conservative Federation Honors Gala in Columbia, South Carolina, on Feb. 22, and said that black people like him because they are accused. as the former president has been.
‘No. 1, I’m obviously not going to go around punching random strangers in the face. Secondly, people can vote for whoever they want,” the NBA legend said Wednesday.
“What I was trying to say, no, what I was saying: When Donald Trump compares his plight to that black person, that’s what I had a problem with.”
“I want to make it perfectly clear: If you’re a black person and you’re carrying a mug shot of Donald Trump, you’re a fucking idiot,” he added.
Barkley sat down with Gayle King on Wednesday night’s edition of King Charles on CNN and discussed Saturday’s controversial comments in which he said he would ‘punch’ any black person he saw wearing MAGA clothing.
“I want to make it perfectly clear: If you’re a black person and you’re carrying a mug shot of Donald Trump, you’re a fucking idiot,” Barkley said Wednesday.
During his speech in South Carolina, Trump claimed that black voters like him because they are impeached and face political persecution.
They accused me a second time, a third time and a fourth time! “And a lot of people said that’s why black people like me, because they’ve been so hurt and discriminated against,” Trump said.
‘And they actually saw me as… I’m being discriminated against. It’s been quite surprising.’
“When I took the mugshot in Atlanta, that mugshot is number one. Do you know who hugged her more than anyone else?” Trump asked the crowd. ‘The black population.’
‘Makes sense?’ -Trump asked.
Despite receiving applause for those comments, an outraged Barkley has continued to target Trump for insulting black people.
When he said Saturday that he would punch people in the face on the show over the weekend, King interrupted him and said he would be arrested for assault, to which he responded, “I’ll bail out and go celebrate.”
Barkley then continued: ‘If I had been at that conference, I would have gotten up and walked out. “That was an insult to all black people.”
“Compare the history of black people, when we have been discriminated against, with his plight: first of all, he is a billionaire and he is being prosecuted for things he did wrong.”
“He’s a billionaire and he’s had a great life. He’s been president of the United States. To insult black people who have been discriminated against all these years, to put them in the same category… it just offended me,” Barkley added.
On Wednesday’s episode, King brought up the social media storm that followed the 11-time NBA All-Star’s comments.
“You are a grown man, you say exactly what you think and you take responsibility for everything you say.”
Zeek Arkham posted a photo of himself wearing a black t-shirt with Trump’s mugshot and a red MAGA baseball cap and called out Barkley for his weekend comment, saying, ‘Has anyone seen Charles Barkley? I heard he was looking for me’
Trump’s mug shot from Fulton County, Georgia. He said the “black population” embraced it more than any other group.
A black man is seen wearing a shirt with Donald Trump holding a sign and a jacket with a Trump 2024 patch (left). A black woman is seen with Trump’s mugshot on her shirt (right)
King then said, ‘And it’s not like you’re just saying things for clickbait, right?’
“I always know how much gasoline I’m putting on the fire,” Barkley responded.
Several people took to social media and responded to Barkley’s threat, when user Zeek Arkham posted a muscular photo of himself wearing a black T-shirt with Trump’s mug shot and a red MAGA baseball cap.
Has anyone seen Charles Barkley? I heard he was looking for me.
“I grew up in the era of ‘you hit me, I’ll hit you back,'” Arkham said in his caption.
Barkley laughed when King said he knows he wouldn’t actually go around ‘attacking people.’
He then said that Trump comparing himself to black people was “stupid” and “stupid.”
“For him to compare a white billionaire who gets in trouble for things he did to black people who get in trouble for things they deserve to do.”
He ended the interview by saying he ‘appreciated’ those who responded to his comment and continued to wear the former president’s merchandise.
“Now, if you have Trump’s mug shot and sneakers on, you’ve crossed a line that you can’t get back,” Barkley said jokingly.