NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley called on President Biden to “pass the torch” ahead of the 2024 presidential election amid concerns that he is mentally unfit to seek re-election following his disastrous performance in last month's debate.
Barkley, who announced his plans to retire from television next year following the completion of the 2024-2025 NBA season, spoke about the current political climate during an appearance on CNBC on Thursday.
Charles Barkley looks on before the NCAA men's basketball tournament Final Four championship game. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
“I just feel sad,” Barkley said from the American Century Championship, a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
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“You have the best country in the world and I have nothing but admiration and respect for you.” President Biden, But it's time for him to pass the torch to a younger generation. He's been a great person, a great man; this is not something I'm saying now, I said it about a year ago. It's time for him to pass the torch.”
Barkley continued: “He's one of the best people I've ever been lucky enough to be around in my life, but it's time to pass the torch.”
However, the NBA star's call for Biden to step aside was not a sign of his support for the former President Trump.
Former President Trump arrives for his campaign rally at Trump National Doral Golf Club on July 9, 2024 in Doral, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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“Listen, President Trump, I would never vote for someone who had that mentality. You always have to respect whoever is in office. You know, I get mad at these sports teams; some of these idiots won't visit the White House because a Democrat or a Republican is there. That's stupid. He's the president of the United States. We should always admire that office, no matter who's there.”
Concerns about the president's mental acuity arose after his debate with Trump last month.
Those concerns were amplified during a news conference with reporters on Thursday, when Biden made several gaffes, including appearing to confuse Vice President Kamala Harris with former President Trump, holding up a list of journalists he had been ordered to call and repeatedly saying “anyway” while deviating from a specific thought.
President Biden at a press conference during the NATO Summit in Washington, DC, Thursday, July 11, 2024. (Fake Images)
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The Trump-Biden debate also reached the green, with the former president challenging Biden to an 18-hole golf match during a rally in Florida this week after the two argued over golf handicaps during their first debate.
A Biden spokesman rejected the proposal, calling it “bizarre antics.”
Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.
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