Charles Barkley
Nov 21, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns former player Charles Barkley sits courtside against the Minnesota Timberwolves during an NBA Cup game at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
NBA legend and current broadcaster Charles Barkley has never been one to shy away from weighing in on politics, and the Hall of Famer shared some strong opinions on immigration and voting during a sit-down conversation with former Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl.
During the discussion, Barkley said that the country “can’t have open borders,” defended ICE, and argued that voters should be required to show ID – all things he’d previously addressed.
‘People who are crooks gotta go’
Barkley and Pearl have long been close thanks to their shared connection to Auburn, where Barkley starred in college, and Pearl coached for 11 seasons before retiring in 2025. When the two sat down together, Barkley was not shy about offering his views.
While Barkley claims to be an independent who has voted Democrat throughout his entire life, he was quite critical of the Democratic platform.
“My thing is, number one, we can’t have open borders, okay? But ICE, I don’t talk bad about ICE because I think they are very useful, very useful,” Barkley said in a clip shared by Pearl. “Cause we should be able to differentiate the good immigrants to the bad immigrants. I don’t even think it’s that hard. Like, ‘Wait a minute, if you’re committing crimes, you can’t be here.’ Like, people who are crooks gotta go. That is so simple. But both parties have weaponized immigration.”
Barkley then turned to voting laws.
“You should need ID to vote,” Barkley said. “No, we need to know who you are if you can vote. But the Democrats have failed in that aspect. And like I say, I’m not gonna talk bad about ICE, but we need to do a better job. Okay, if you a crook, you gotta go.”
Not Barkley’s First Comments
This isn’t the first time in recent weeks that Barkley has made headlines for his political views. During a recent appearance on The Chris Cuomo Project, he pushed back against calls to abolish ICE and defund the police.
“Some of these people out here talking about no ICE, no prison, using words like socialism,” Barkley said at the time. “Like, no, I don’t believe in that. Wait, wait, no cops? I think that’s some of the stupidest sh*t I’ve ever heard.”
Barkley also said then that “ICE has to do a much better job” and that “we need immigrants in this country,” while criticizing President Donald Trump for making racists feel “confident and comfortable.”
During that same interview, Barkley said that former Vice President Kamala Harris “can’t be president” and urged the party to find “a real candidate, or we’re going to lose again.”
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