Charles Barkley Shuts Down Live Caller’s Suggestion that He Should Run for Office: ‘Not Gonna Go to Work with Fools Every Day’

Charles Barkley made it clear he has absolutely no intentions of running for office despite being urged by his supporters.

Barkley appeared on CNN host Michael Smerconish’s SiriusXM show this week, where he trashed CNN while talking to someone who works at the network, before responding to a number of live callers.

One of those callers, identified as Milton from Hampton, Virginia, began by praising Barkley for his playing days. He then had a simple request.

“Run for Senate,” Milton said. “Pick a state.”

Barkley, 63, wanted no part of the political world, saying:

Listen, man, I am not going to go to work with fools every day that don’t care about– I tell people this all the time, Milton. The American public, they’re like, in a game that they don’t even know they’re in a game.

Like, let’s say if you get elected and you’re a Republican or a Democrat. Do you really want to screw the other group?

Like, no, if I get elected, I want the Democrats and Republicans be on the same roads.

I want them to all have the same economic opportunity. I’m not for like, if I win, I want the other team to lose.

Smerconish then asked Barkley how close he was to actually running.

Barkley admitted he was “close” to running for governor of Alabama. After speaking with both Republicans and Democrats, however, he lost interest.

The conversation continued:

BARKLEY: And I realized that both the parties suck. Both parties. Both parties.

SMERCONISH: Run as an Independent!

BARKLEY: You can’t win as an Independent. It’s too much money at stake right now.

The former NBA legend, who was an 11-time NBA All-star before his career was sidelined by injuries, currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

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