Charles Barkley on election: We have to give Donald Trump a chance
Basketball Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley was shocked about the results of the presidential election, but says citizens should give President-elect Donald Trump a chance to see how he performs in his new job.
Trump defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a stunning election result that has sparked conversation about how the country will move forward.
"I was in shock, I'm not gonna lie. I was totally surprised at the election results," Barkley said on TNT's Inside the NBA. "That being said, we've got to move on. I was disappointed because my candidate didn't win, No. 1. But like I said, it's over now. [Trump] is going to be the president of the United States. We've got to respect the office, and we have to give him a chance. That's the bottom line."
Barkley's co-workers Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O'Neal also weighed in on the topic, with Johnson saying he didn't vote for either candidate, but instead wrote in the name of Governor John Kasich for president.
"Somebody always loses an election. We’ve been fortunate that we’ve won the last couple with President Obama," Barkley said. "We didn’t win this one. But like I said, I respect the office of the president of the United States, and we have to give him a chance. Everything he’s said in the past, that’s water under the bridge. We have to give him a chance, and we have to support him because he’s the president of the United States of America.”
– Scooby Axson
