Charles Barkley Slams Teams Skipping White House Visits Over Trump: 'That's Just Stupid'

Rumors of the Philadelphia Eagles potentially skipping a White House visit to celebrate their Super Bowl LIX victory sent social media into a frenzy at the end of February.

Even before the Eagles received an official invite, speculation about their decision had already ignited passionate debates. President Donald Trump eventually extended the invite, but the chatter about a possible snub caught the attention of Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley.

Appearing on his podcast, "The Steam Room", Barkley didn’t mince words. He called the idea of teams skipping White House visits due to political disagreements "stupid."

"I don’t care who the president is," Barkley said, via Awful Announcing. "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."

While Barkley noted he doesn’t always agree with President Trump, he still emphasized the importance of showing respect for 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."

Tensions between President Trump and professional athletes have been a recurring theme throughout his political career, particularly during his first term when incidents like players kneeling during the national anthem led to public disputes. The Eagles notably skipped a White House visit back then.

Interestingly, the 2024 presidential campaign marked a shift in dynamics, with more athletes openly supporting Trump over then-Vice President Kamala Harris.