Buckle up, because a former NBA star just delivered a fiery political rant that has both sides of the aisle clutching their pearls—or nodding along. In a viral video, the athlete didn’t mince words about Democrats losing a hypothetical election to President-elect Donald Trump. And he made one thing crystal clear: when you lose, it’s time to stop whining.
“Shut the fuck up when you win. You get to say what you want to. When you lose, you need to shut the hell up. Oh, President Biden, didn’t they didn’t get him out the race soon enough. Kamala didn’t do this,” he said. “We lost because we had no game plan. We still haven’t solved. The immigration problem have no viable. Answers never addressed inflation, bringing all these stupid stars out to rally to vote.”
Starting with an olive branch (sort of), the ex-player congratulated Trump and called for success on behalf of all Americans. “Seventy-five million people voted for Trump. Seventy-one million voted for Kamala Harris,” he noted, mixing facts with a hefty dose of frustration. Then, like a true courtside coach, he pivoted to why he believes Democrats dropped the ball.
“We lost because we had no game plan,” he said. And if you thought he was done there, oh no. He came for the party’s reliance on celebrities to mobilize voters, calling out Beyoncé and Cardi B specifically. “That ain’t gonna make me vote a certain way,” he said. (Though the visual of Cardi in campaign mode is, admittedly, iconic.)
His tone wasn’t entirely dismissive, though. He made a point to push past labels like “racist” when talking about Trump’s supporters. And while he made it clear he’s not a fan of Trump himself, he emphasized respecting the office of the president—a sentiment that’s sure to spark debate in a politically fractured world.
“You guys lost because y’all stupid come up with solutions. I don’t think everybody voted for Trump as racist or whatever. I’m not a fan of the guy, but he’s the president. I’m not to respect the office,” Barkley added.
Love him, hate him, or just scratching your head over the cameo from Cardi B, the video shines a spotlight on the frustrations of many who feel both sides of the political spectrum are falling short. One thing’s for sure: this kind of straight talk isn’t leaving the conversation anytime soon.
