Barkley Exposes These Athletes and Leaves Them Begging for Mercy!

Charles Barkley has never been one to hold back. When it comes to politics, the NBA legend calls it as he sees it.

The beauty of Barkley—also known as the “Round Mound of Rebound”—is that he doesn’t blindly follow any side. While he’s voiced support for Democrats before, his real loyalty lies with one thing:

Common sense.

Chuck has always been a straight shooter. Whether on TV, radio, or podcasts, he says what he thinks, no filter. And when he joined Ernie Johnson on The Steam Room podcast, that didn’t change. Their guest was General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of USA Basketball, and politics naturally made its way into the conversation.

At one point, the discussion turned to respect for the United States. Whether it was athletes wearing red, white, and blue in the Olympics or championship teams visiting the White House, Dempsey made it clear: the military remains non-partisan. And he suggested athletes—and Americans—should take the same approach.

Barkley agreed, adding that he and some friends recently discussed the growing trend of teams skipping White House visits. To him, it’s a matter of principle, not politics. He argued that teams should accept the invite, regardless of who’s in office:

“I don’t care who the president is. He’s the President of the United States. It’s bothered me, the last 10 years, they’re like, ‘Well, I’m not going because this certain person is president.’ Dude, it’s the President of the United States.”

Barkley has leaned left in the past, but he didn’t let that stop him from making his point. Even when it comes to former President Donald Trump, whom he openly disagrees with on some issues, Barkley believes in honoring the office:

“Even though I disagree with President Trump on some things, if I met him, I would still give him the respect and dignity he deserves. We can disagree, but it bothers me when these teams don’t want to go to the White House.

I’m just disappointed… we got so divided. Where did we get to as a country when we’re like, ‘We’re not going to the White House, we don’t like who’s in there.’ That’s just stupid in my opinion.”

Charles Barkley says teams should still visit the White House and show respect to the president, regardless of who is in office

“I don’t care who the president is. He’s the President of the United States. It’s bothered me, the last 10 years, they’re like, ‘Well, I’m not going… pic.twitter.com/BEhoSYeLcy

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 3, 2025

The timing of the discussion wasn’t random. Online rumors had been swirling that the Philadelphia Eagles were planning to reject a White House invitation. Those claims turned out to be false. Trump hadn’t even extended an invite, and the team later confirmed they’d accept one if given the chance.

For more on Barkley’s take, catch the full episode of The Steam Room podcast with Ernie Johnson and General Martin Dempsey.