Charles Barkley has come under the spotlight after he talked about the US government’s immigration policies, which have seen widespread protests across the country. Earlier, even an NBA game was postponed on January 24, 2026, as several protests broke out in Minneapolis after an ICU nurse was shot by ICE agents.
Chuck was featured in a recent conversation on CBS, where he expressed his honest feelings about recent ICE operations. He said:
“This is a really touchy subject for me… The way some of these immigrants are getting treated in our country right now is a travesty and a disgrace. I think there’s a difference between amazing immigrants and criminal immigrants. And I think what we’re doing to some of these amazing immigrants is really unfortunate and really sad.”
Several fans in the comment section hailed Barkley for speaking his mind and openly talking about a sensitive topic. One of those was former NBA player Matt Barnes, who called in an old feud with Bruce Pearl and commented:
“I wonder what Bruce Pearl had to say after this, he’s pro Dump”
Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl has been a supporter of President Donald Trump and his policies earlier, which led Barnes to wonder what he would say to Chuck’s statement. The 2017 NBA champion posted another comment, replying to a user, Nick Briz, who tried to make fun of Barkley’s stance (the comment is now deleted):
“@_nickbriz suck my d!@@. Keep that same energy funny guy”
As the caption of the video states, talking about controversial subjects can be detrimental and might result in Charles Barkley losing his job.
What’s the feud between Charles Barkley and Bruce Pearl?
The tussle between the two goes back to the Auburn Tigers. While Bruce Pearl served as the head coach of the basketball team, Charles Barkley is an alumnus of Auburn University. However, the two only share a healthy on-screen banter, much like what he has with his Inside the NBA co-host, Shaquille O’Neal.
The 1993 NBA MVP even jokingly refused to feature alongside Pearl in the studio for the NCAA Tournament. He said:
“One of my prerequisites for working this tournament game is I didn’t want to be in the studio with you, because there’s some people looking for you, Bruce.”
There is no update about how CBS has handled Charles Barkley’s statements or any repercussions of his stance.
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