Charles Barkley has never been reluctant to speak about politics or social issues, and the Basketball Hall of Famer delivered another pointed assessment of President Donald Trump during a recent appearance on The Chris Cuomo Project.
Barkley argued that one of the most damaging effects of Trump’s presidency has been what he sees as a change in the way openly racist behavior is treated in the United States.
“I think one of the worst things about Trump, he’s made it popular to be racist,” Barkley said. “There’s no consequences for being racist now. A lot of people are wearing it with a badge of courage.”
Barkley went on to criticize Trump for, in his view, failing to forcefully reject that behavior.
“He never denounces it,” Barkley said. “He should denounce it. He’s made it more acceptable to be racist.” He later added that people with racist views once felt pressure to keep those opinions private, but he believes that social restraint has weakened.
Charles Barkley: “I think one of the worst things about Trump, he’s made it popular to be racist. There’s no consequences for being racist now. A lot of people are wearing it with a badge of courage. He never denounces it. Nah, he should denounce it. He’s made it more acceptable to be racist”
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) October 4, 2026
The remarks came during a broader discussion about the direction of the country. Barkley also addressed immigration, saying he believes border enforcement is necessary while arguing that immigrants remain an important part of American society and that federal immigration authorities need to operate more effectively.
His criticism of Trump was therefore presented as part of a wider conversation rather than a blanket endorsement of one political side. Barkley has long positioned himself as willing to criticize both Democrats and Republicans, and during the same discussion he spoke positively about several Democratic political figures while expressing concern about issues including antisemitism and political division.
The central claim, however, was unmistakable. Barkley believes Trump’s rhetoric and leadership have helped create an environment in which some people feel increasingly comfortable expressing racist views publicly.
