Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP; AP Photo/Evan Vucci; AP Photo/John Locher
- NBA great Charles Barkley told CNN's Chris Wallace that he didn't want to see a Biden-Trump rematch.
- "I don't feel really good about either one of them," Barkley said during a recent interview.
- Barkley cited Biden's age and Trump's lack of "civility" in critiquing the 2024 presidential field.
Former NBA star Charles Barkley said in a recent interview that he doesn't feel "good" about a potential rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race.
Barkley, one of the most celebrated basketball players of the 1980s and 1990s, has rarely been shy in voicing his opinions, a fact known by longtime fans and viewers of his sports analysis on TNT and CBS.
During an appearance on CNN, Barkley delved into politics with host Chris Wallace, remarking on how he eschewed party and ideological labels and considered himself to be an independent.
After Wallace asked Barkley about next year's elections, the NBA great derided both Biden and Trump, who are the leading candidates to secure their respective party nominations.
"I don't feel good about a rematch," he said. "I don't think President Trump represents a statesman, civility, things like that. And I think President Biden is too old."
"I don't feel really good about either one of them," he reiterated.
Barkley then spoke of the qualities that he felt a president needed to possess in order to represent Americans.
"If you're the President of the United States — even if I disagree with you — you have to carry yourself a certain way," he said. "That's a really big deal. You have to have civility, you have to be respectful, you have to carry yourself a certain way."
Biden, who will turn 81 years old next month, would be 82 at his second inauguration should he secure another term in office. At the end of a potential second term, Biden would be 86.
The president in May defended his reelection bid amid concerns within some in the Democratic Party over his age.
"I have acquired a hell of a lot of wisdom and know more than the vast majority of people," he told MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle at the time. "And I'm more experienced than anybody that's ever run for the office. And I think I've proven myself to be honorable as well as also effective."
Last week, Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota launched a primary challenge against Biden, arguing that Democrats needed to empower a new generation of leaders.
Trump, who turned 77 this year, remains the favorite to capture the GOP nomination amid myriad legal challenges. The former president faces charges for election interference both in Georgia and on the federal level, as well as charges over his handling of classified documents and hush money charges in Manhattan.
Barkley is set to co-host a new CNN show with veteran journalist Gayle King beginning this fall.