This past weekend, during the “Final Four Show,” former NBA star and “Inside the NBA” analyst Charles Barkley said that politicians intentionally fuel racial divides in order to “keep their grasp on money and power,” and that the “system” is designed to foster hatred and to “scramble the middle class.”
“Man, I think most white people and black people are great people. I really believe that in my heart,” he said. “But I think our system is set up where our politicians, whether they’re Republicans or Democrats, are designed to make us not like each other, so they can keep their grasp [on] money and power. They divide and conquer. I truly believe in my heart most white people and black people are awesome people. But we are so stupid following our politicians, whether they are Republicans or Democrats, and their only job is, ‘Hey, let’s make these people not like each other. We don’t live in their neighborhoods. [We’ve] all got money. Let’s make the whites and blacks not like each other; let’s make rich people and poor people not like each other; let’s scramble the middle class.'”
Charles Barkley said that politicians are driving racial divisions for political gain.
Fact-check: true. pic.twitter.com/F7B4YMA5zk
— Ian Haworth (@ighaworth) April 4, 2021
This wasn’t the first time that Barkley has offered political opinions which fly in the face of the agenda of organizations like the NBA.
Breonna Taylor
In September 2020, Barkley pushed back on the outrage racial activists had been promoting over the death of Breonna Taylor, arguing that while the case was tragic, it was not in the same category as the death of George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery.
“It’s bad the young lady lost her life, but, you know, we do have to take into account that her boyfriend did shoot at the cops and shot a cop,” Barkley said. “So, like I said, even though I’m really sorry she lost her life, I don’t think that we can just say we can put this in the same situation with George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, I just don’t believe that.”
God bless Barkley. He also is the only NBA commentator willing to point out that Brianna Taylor’s boyfriend fired first and hit a cop before they returned fire at him. The lack of basic factual understanding in this case is staggering. pic.twitter.com/2DFIs1XjNn
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 25, 2020
Defund the Police
In September 2020, Barkley slammed the “fools on TV” promoting the “defund the police” movement, stressing that the black community needs law enforcement “when we have crime in our neighborhoods.”
“We have to really be careful on these, you know, I hear these fools on TV talking about ‘defund the police’ and things like that,” Barkley said. “We need police reform and prison reform and things like that because you know who ain’t going to defund the cops? White neighborhoods and rich neighborhoods.”
“So, that notion they keep saying that, I’m like wait a minute, we’re just going [sic], who are black people supposed to call, Ghostbusters, when we have crime in our neighborhoods?” Barkley continued. “We need police reform, but like I said, white people and especially rich white people, they’re always going to have cops. So, we need to stop that defund and abolish the cops crap.”
Charles Barkley says defunding police is a ridiculous idea. “Who are black people supposed to call? The Ghostbusters?” pic.twitter.com/LlJQfLzxUq
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 25, 2020
Democrats “Only Talk To Black People Every Four Years”
In September 2019, Charles Barkley discussed the Democratic Party’s relationship with the black community during an interview with radio host Michael Smerconish.
“We need to start holding you Democrats accountable because they’ve been taking black people’s votes, and they only talk to black people every four years. All of these politicians only talk to black people every four years because they want their vote. Oh, actually, the Republicans don’t, the Democrats do. But when they get elected, they do nothing in the four years in-between,” Barkley said.
“Both parties suck”
In July 2019, in addition to rejecting Trump’s rhetoric, Barkley criticized the Democratic Party for taking black voters for granted.
“I think all politicians take black folks for granted. They talk to black folks every four years and that’s about it … and then do nothing about it,” Barkley told Yahoo News. “Both parties suck in that aspect.”
“It’s an economic thing … and that’s what both parties have been neglecting, especially the Democratic Party,” Barkley said. “Every black person I know has always voted Democratic and, with the exception of a few guys who can play sports, all those people are still poor.”
Democrats need to “get off their ass” and make life “better for black folks”
In December 2017, Barkley called out Democrats about their promises to the black community while celebrating Democrat Doug Jones’s victory in the Alabama special Senate election.
“It’s time for [Democrats] to get off their ass and start making life better for black folks and people who are poor,” Barkley said.
“All politics is rich people screwing poor people”
In March 2016, Barkley commented on the presidential race, saying that “all politics is rich people screwing poor people” and that “poor people are too stupid to know they’re just chess pieces in a game.”
“I’ve always voted Democratic. Always. I don’t know why. I’m trying to figure out exactly what they’ve done for us,” he added.
“All politics is rich people screwing poor people. Poor people are too stupid to know they’re just chess pieces in a game. All the poor white people, all the poor black people, all the Hispanics, they’re in the same boat. They’ve got no economic opportunities. They spend all their time blaming each other because rich people throw words at them like illegal immigration and racism and things like that. If poor people ever get smart, and realize: ‘We should band together, rise up, instead of fighting each other,’ we probably can make a difference,” he said later.
Ian Haworth is an Editor and Writer for The Daily Wire. Follow him on Twitter at @ighaworth.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.