Charles Barkley is not here for Black people glorifying Donald Trump’s mugshot.
The legendary NBA pro sat down with Gayle King this week, where he shared his thoughts regarding Black people now supporting Trump after he was arrested and his mugshot hit the internet.
“First of all, I’m just gonna say this: if I see a Black person walking around with Trump’s mugshot, I’m [gonna] punch him in the face,” Barkley warned.
His comments, while humorous, arrived days after Trump spoke about how his mugshot was increasing his popularity among Black voters.
“When I did the mugshot in Atlanta, that mug shot is No. 1. You know who embraced it more than anyone else? The Black population,” the former president declared at the Black Conservative Federation’s annual Honors Gala in South Carolina.
Sadly, this was not the only racist stereotype that Trump is trying to capitalize off of. He recently debuted his $399 Never Surrender High Top Sneaker at Sneaker Con in Philadelphia. Fellow Republicans have praised the move as a way to “connect” with Black Americans. While Barkley didn’t have much to say about the new shoe, the mugshot bothered him to the point of risking jail time, and he maintains that Black people present during Trump’s speech about his mugshot should have left immediately.
“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. I was just offended,” Barkley added.
Trump has been hitting the campaign trail hard in an effort to earn the Black vote. However, with mounting criminal cases and a string of racially insensitive comments, it’s unlikely that he will win over all Black voters as the 2024 election inches closer.
