Charles Barkley threatens to assault black Trump supporters, but his CNN cohost quickly steps in with reality check

NBA legend Charles Barkley recently threatened to assault black Americans who support Donald Trump, prompting a quick reality check from his CNN cohost, Gayle King.

On the most recent episode of “King Charles,” King asked Barkley about Trump’s controversial remarks in which he claimed that black Americans sympathize with his run-in with the criminal justice system. Trump even claimed that black Americans wear T-shirts with his infamous mugshot.

Such people, Barkley responded, deserve to be assaulted.

“First of all, I’m just going to say this. If I see a black person walking around with Trump mugs, I’m going to punch him in the face,” he said.

“Charles,” King interjected. “You really can’t say that because, A, you don’t mean that.”

“Oh, I mean that sincerely,” Barkley shot back.

“And then you will be arrested for assault. And then, what?” King followed up.

“I’m going to bail myself out and go celebrate,” Barkley responded.

Justifying his threat, Barkley said that Trump’s remarks were “an insult to all black people” because he is comparing “black history where we’ve been discriminated against to his plight.” But that is a false equivalence, Barkley argued, because Trump is a billionaire, and he is being prosecuted for “stuff he did wrong.”

That last statement earned Barkley another fact check from King.

“It’s still in the court system, Charles. We have to wait. It’s still in the court system,” she told Barkley, reminding him that Trump is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The merits of Trump’s claims aside, Barkley’s response seemingly plays into a classic Democratic Party narrative: black voters must not support Republicans.

But black voters are increasingly questioning whether their loyalty should remain with the Democratic Party as they ask themselves what the party has accomplished on their behalf. And as an increasing number of black Americans realize the answer to that question is next to nothing, more and more are peeling away from Democrats.

Look no further than the newest New York Times/Siena College poll, which shows that Trump is winning 23% of black voters.

If that is how Election Day plays out, then black voters will have sent President Joe Biden and Democrats an important message: We’re tired of your empty promises, and we’re tired of being treated like we are less than black if we don’t support your agenda.