Charles Barkley took a break from sports commentary to poke fun at the Republican's new tax plan on Thursday night. During a break in the action on Inside the NBA, the retired NBA player said Republicans gave him a "big gift" by passing the plan as currently constructed.
"Shaq, they said it's going trickle down," Barkley said, laughing on air while referring to the money large corporations will save thanks to the plan. "I'm going to trickle my fat butt down to the jewelry store to get a new Rolex. They're not going to pass it to nobody."
On Wednesday, Congress passed the major tax overhaul despite its low approval rating. On Friday, President Trump signed the bill into law, making it the first legislative win for his administration.
This isn't the first time Barkley has dipped a toe into politics this month. Just last week, the analyst urged Alabama not to vote for Republican candidate Roy Moore, so it’s clear Barkley isn’t an advocate for the conservatives.
But as USA Today points out, Barkley also commented on the lack of opportunities for poor people in the U.S. back in 2016 and blamed them in part for their own economic losses. "All politics is rich people screwing poor people," Barkley said. "Poor people are too stupid to know they're just chess pieces in a game. If poor people ever get smart, and realize like, 'We should band together, rise up, instead of fighting each other,' we probably can make a difference."
While he may have been joking on Inside the NBA, Barkley seems to understand that politics are tilted in his favor. Changes like the new tax plan are going to continue to keep the wealth gap wide and the poor poor. But at least Barkley will be able to cop himself a new Rolex. "Thank you Republicans, I knew I could always count on y'all to take care of us rich people, us one percenters," Barkley said. "Sorry, poor people. I'm hoping for y'all, but y'all ain't got no chance."
Check out the clip above to see what else Barkley had to say.
