Charles Barkley scolds sports fans for getting wrapped up in Olympic hockey frenzy

Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley sounded disconnected connected the frenzied reactions to the U.S. men’s hockey squad getting invited to the White House by President Donald Trump.

Trump talked to the Olympic golden medal-winning squad instantly aft they defeated Canada successful overtime past weekend. He said they would beryllium invited to his State of the Union code and added that helium needed to invitation the women’s squad arsenic good oregon helium would beryllium "impeached."

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Charles Barkley sits courtside against the Minnesota Timberwolves during an NBA Cup crippled astatine Mortgage Matchup Center connected Nov. 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

Trump critics took the gag arsenic a changeable astatine the women’s team, which sparked questions from NHL and Professional Women’s Hockey League reporters arsenic the players returned to their respective nine teams.

"I’m arrogant of the United States men. I’m arrogant of the United States women. You should person invited some of them to the White House, but it shouldn’t person been disrespect, misogyny," Barkley said connected the "Steam Room" podcast. "Like, yo, man, wherefore bash y’all person to messiness everything up? Everything isn’t Democrat, Republican, conservative, liberal. That’s wherefore we got this divided, screwed up country. Stop it man. Because, you know, the public, they’re idiots. They’re fools. They can’t deliberation for themselves. I cognize y’all accidental worldly to trigger them. Y’all accidental worldly and y’all cognize they’re going to beryllium fools."

Barkley lamented that the mean idiosyncratic would get riled up implicit the expected controversy.

The U.S. squad poses for a radical photograph aft defeating Canada successful the men's crystal hockey golden medal crippled astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics. Milan, Italy, connected Feb. 22, 2026. (Luca Bruno/AP Photo)

"We don’t person to autumn for stupidity. But we bash – that’s my point. These radical retired present are stupid. They request thing to trigger them. Just due to the fact that they privation america to beryllium stupid. We don’t person to beryllium stupid. He should person invited some teams to the White House. Simple arsenic that. Guys who didn’t privation to spell shouldn’t person to explicate wherefore they didn’t go."

The erstwhile Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns prima made wide helium would spell to the White House careless of whether Trump was successful office.

"I’ve said this before, I’m not a Trump guy. But if I got invited to the White House, I would go. I’m not a Trump feline – I privation to marque that clear. But I respect the office," Barkley said. "He’s the president of the United States. But if guys don’t privation to go, I recognize that too. It doesn’t person to beryllium a talking point. It doesn’t person to beryllium un-American.

Megan Keller (5) celebrates with a emblem alongside Cayla Barnes (3) of Team United States aft scoring the game-winning extremity successful overtime during the women’s golden medal lucifer against Canada connected Day 13 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games astatine Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena successful Milan, Italy, connected Feb. 19, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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"I conscionable privation y’all would halt falling for the stupidity."

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