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Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley spoke about the frenzied reactions to President Donald Trump’s invitation of the U.S. men’s hockey team to the White House.
Trump spoke to the Olympic gold medal-winning team immediately after beating Canada in overtime last weekend. He said they would be invited to his State of the Union address and added that he had to invite the women’s team as well or he would be “impeached.”
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Charles Barkley sits on the court against the Minnesota Timberwolves during an NBA Cup game at the Mortgage Matchup Center on November 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
Trump’s critics took the joke as a jab at the women’s team, prompting questions from NHL and Professional Women’s Hockey League reporters as the players returned to their respective club teams.
“I’m proud of American men. I’m proud of American women. You should have invited them both to the White House, but it shouldn’t have been disrespect or misogyny,” Barkley said on the “Steam Room” podcast. “Like, yo, man, why do you have to screw it up? It’s not all Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Liberal. That’s why we have this divided and fucked up country. Stop it, man. Because, you know, the public, they’re idiots. They’re idiots. They can’t think for themselves. I know you all say stuff to set them off. You all say stuff and you all know they’re going to be idiots.”
Barkley lamented that the average person is annoyed by this supposed controversy.
Team USA poses for a group photo after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Milan, Italy, February 22, 2026. (Luca Bruno/AP Photo)
“We don’t have to fall into stupidity. But we do – that’s what I mean. These people here are stupid. They need something to trigger them. Just because they want us to be stupid. We don’t have to be stupid. He should have invited both teams to the White House. It’s that simple. The guys who didn’t want to go shouldn’t have to explain why they didn’t go.”
The former Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns star has made it clear he will be heading to the White House whether Trump is in office or not.
“I’ve said it before, I’m not a Trump guy. But if I was invited to the White House, I would go. I’m not a Trump guy — I want to make that clear. But I respect the office,” Barkley said. “He’s the President of the United States. But if the guys don’t want to go, I understand that too. It doesn’t have to be a talking point. It doesn’t have to be anti-American.
Megan Keller (5) celebrates with a flag alongside Cayla Barnes (3) of Team USA after scoring the winning goal in overtime during the women’s gold medal game against Canada on day 13 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, February 19, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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“I just wish you would stop falling into the trap of stupidity.”
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